This sculpture depicts an unknown dancing in the position 

From the late 1860s, Degas took up sculpture, focusing in particular on ballerinas. Degas modelled his figures in a highly malleable mixture of wax and clay, using ordinary things like matchsticks, wire and wine corks to strengthen them. Here a bit of wire used as an armature is visible poking out of the right hand. Degas never had any of his sculpture cast in bronze. 

The sculpture is numbered and stamped with the foundry mark, on base, 57/K Cire Perdue A.A. Hébrard  and Degas's signature stamped on the base