Hippo Ballerina

Bjorn Skaarup's Hippo Ballerina.

Bjorn Skaarup's Hippo Ballerina.

I love Bjorn Skaarup's adorable Hippo Ballerina. Inspired by Degas’ “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” and the dancing hippos of Walt Disney’s “Fantasia,” the Hippo is a copper tutu-clad bronze sculpture standing over fifteen feet tall by the Danish artist. The piece "vividly illustrates the artist’s ability to reinterpret subjects and themes found in ancient myths, art history, modern animation, and contemporary popular culture in playful ways that engage the viewer." The Hippo is at Dante Park near Lincoln Center through July 31, 2017. Go on. Dance with the Hippo. People won't stare too much.