Study for Dance the Dream, Half Life conveys a sense of eternal spring. This young dancer has already acquired the polish and refinement of a professional ballerina, yet she retains the tenderness of youth. The joyous spontaneity of her instinctive love of dance is clear, but overlaid with an elegance of movement that hints at the ballerina she will soon become. Contrasting with the more child-like exuberance of her younger sister, depicted in “Red Dress”, this young dancer has tempered her innocent freedom of movement with the classical discipline and art of ballet. Richard MacDonald has captured the subtleties of this pivotal moment in the dancer’s life: through his vision we feel the youthful spirit, and the emerging ballerina. It is the moment where nature blossoms into art.