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The Flatiron Partnership welcomes Hippo Ballerina to the South Plaza! Weighing 2.5 tons, and cast in bronze and clad in a copper tutu, Hippo Ballerina (who we've affectionately dubbed Henrietta) by Danish artist Bjørn Okholm Skaarup will be on display near 22nd Street and Broadway now through Thanksgiving.

“Standing over 15 feet high, Hippo Ballerina has found a happy home among New York's skyscrapers. Last seen opposite Lincoln Center in 2017, she has now made her way down Broadway, beside the iconic Flatiron Building, facing the Empire State Building. I am delighted when people of all ages interact with the bronze sculpture, as they pass, smiling and even posting photos to #dancewithhippoballerina. I know that Hippo Ballerina will enjoy living downtown!” said the artist, Skaarup. 

Inspired by Degas' Little Dancer Aged Fourteen (Petite danseuse de quatorze ans) and the dancing hippos of Walt Disney's Fantasia, Hippo Ballerinavividly 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.

To welcome Hippo Ballerina to the Flatiron District, and to make the most of the day before NYC public schools open for the fall semester, please join the Flatiron Partnership for some themed programming (including, of course, Hungry Hungry Hippos and a selection of tutus for you to grab an epic pic) on Wednesday, September 4th from 10 am to 2 pm. Click here for more information.  

The installation on the South Plaza is made possible through a partnership with NYC DOT Art & Event Programming who commissions and oversees the installation of temporary public artwork, including the Partnerships' annual holiday installation on the North Plaza; Cavalier Galleries, who for over 30 years has offered an unparalleled selection of fine art at premier exhibition spaces in Greenwich, Nantucket, and New York; and the Flatiron Partnership. 

"Hippo Ballerina brings together the historic and the modern, combining Degas’ Little Dancer with the dancing Hippos of Walt Disney’s Fantasia. In this way, Hippo Ballerina mirrors the Flatiron District of today by bringing together the historic and the modern," states Anna Gillis of Cavalier Galleries. "The Flatiron District is a storied part of New York City which has taken on new and exciting roles as a booming residential and commercial district. We are very happy to call it Hippo Ballerina’s new home!"

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