In 1914, McEvoy exhibited a group of three watercolour drawings of ballet dancers at the International Society. One of them, Two Ballet Girls with Dresser (c. 1913, now in the Tate), is very similar to ours and features the same model, who bears a vague resemblance to the beautiful prima ballerina Tamara Karsavina. All three pictures were done in the time of the great choreographer Fokine, before Leonide Massine was in charge at the Ballets Russe in London. The title Leonide was likely added later. McEvoy went on to paint the ballerina Lydia Lopokova several times.