Degas and his dancers: New show demolishes myth It has always been assumed that Edgar Degas worked in the wings and rehearsal rooms of the Paris Opera to produce his staggering pictures of its dancers. But, like the ballets themselves, it turns out that his behind-the-scenes masterpieces were a brilliant illusion. A huge new show at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris reveals that Degas hardly ever sketched in the theatre, never mind backstage. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES