Cloutier was introduced to the world of ballet by his wife Marilyn, a highly accomplished professional ballerina who has danced and taught her craft for 85 years. Cloutier’s unique portrayal of his dancers captures not their onstage successes, but the quiet moments offstage and between rehearsals. Their moments of contemplation become even more compelling through his gaze, as Cloutier reveals that a ballerina’s discipline is constant - instinctive - even at rest. His ballet paintings are some of Cloutier’s most admired and collected pieces.