Ballet dancer
A ballerina (Italian for female dancer) is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur (French) or ballerino (Italian). Although the term ballerina is commonly used to descibe any female ballet dancer, it is a rank given only to the most exceptional female soloists. The opera singer equivalent is deva. More or less, depending on the source, the rankings for women, from highest to lowest, are:
- Prima Ballerina Assoluta
- Prima ballerina, première sujet or première danseuse
- Sujet
- Coryphée
- Corps de ballet
For men, the ranks were:
- Premier danseur noble
- Premier danseur
- Sujet
- Coryphée
- Corps de ballet
Today
Prima Ballerina Assoluta
The title or rank of Prima Ballerina Assoluta was originally inspired by the Italian ballet masters of the early Romantic Ballet and was bestowed on a ballerina who was considered to be exceptionally talented, above the standard of other leading ballerinas. The title is very rarely used today and recent uses have typically been symbolic, in recognition of a notable career and as a result, it is commonly viewed as an honour rather than an active rank.
The first recorded use of the title as an official rank, was by the renowned French balletmaster Marius Petipa, when he bestowed the title of Prima Ballerina Assoluta on the Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani in 1894. He considered her to be the supreme danseuse in all of Europe. Legnani performed with the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1893 until 1901.
The second ballerina to be given the title was Legnani's contemporary Mathilde Kschessinska. Petipa, however, did not agree that she should hold such a title; although an extraordinary ballerina, she obtained the title primarily via Imperial prestige.
The only two ballerinas to hold the title Prima ballerina assoluta in the Soviet Union were Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya. Other dancers awarded the title include Alicia Alonso from Cuba and Dame Alicia Markova and Dame Margot Fonteyn from England. To date no American ballerina has ever held the rank of Prima ballerina assoluta; Rudolf Nureyev considered the ballerina Cynthia Gregory to be the only American ballerina deserving of such a title. He also described French dancer Yvette Chauviré as a "legend". [1] Another not to hold the title is the great Anna Pavlova, probably the best known ballerina in history.
In South Africa, the only ballerina granted the title Prima ballerina assoluta (1984) was Phyllis Spira (1943 - 2008).
See also
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