These are three pen and ink drawings with watercolors done by Claire Avery around 1908 to 1909. The illustrations show Adeline Genee performing dances from the ballet "Sir Roger de Covereley", a comedy ballet set in the 18th century, a ballet from Die Rose von Schiras, and another from The Empire Dance; they are done on oaktag, and all three are signed by Claire Avery in the lower left. Claire Avery (1879 - 1927) was an American artist, illustrator, painter, and teacher who befriended Adeline when Adeline visited the US. Avery made a number of drawings of the ballerina in performance and off stage, and the New York Times noted that Avery's images of Genee displayed a remarkable gift for the interpretation of swift motion. The elegance and grace of the dancer are caught "with incredible truth and expressiveness." Adeline Genee (1878 - 1970) was a Danish ballet dancer who became principal dancer of the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen and emigrated to England with her family around 1897. In 1907 Flo Ziegfeld described her as "The World's Greatest Dancer" and put her image up on posters; in 1912, she debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera, in 1923 the king of Denmark awarded her the Ingenio et Arti medal, and Genee helped found the Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, which became the Royal Academy of Dancing; Adeline was president of the Academy until her retirement in 1954, when she was succeeded by Dame Margot Fonteyn, so Adeline left some big ballet shoes to fill. Genee is holding a white fan in the sketches from Sir Roger de Coverley, she is performing in a softer pink tu-tu (with no black dots) from Die Rose von Schiras, and we believe she is dancing in a beautiful swirling green costume from the Empire Dance. We weren't sure if oaktag was an appropriate medium for the watercolors, so we investigated and discovered that oaktag was first created around 1910, so the time period fits, and we found similar sets of watercolors like these by Claire Avery housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, so a great discovery here. The three watercolors measure between 4 7/8 x 12 1/2 to 12 3/4 in. wide and are in great condition. They are very clean, with no tears or discoloration, in no need of repair, and a great gift for anyone who is a Claire Avery or ballet fan. #5101 Location U4