Ballerina
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A ballerina (from the Italian) is a female ballet dancer; a male ballet dancer is called a danseur. The term ballerino, though technically never used in the ballet world, is gaining credence with laypersons.
Although the term ballerina is used for any female ballet dancer, it was originally a rank given to an exceptional ballet soloist in the Russian Imperial Ballet.
The rankings, from highest to lowest, were:
- prima ballerina assoluta
- prima ballerina
- ballerina
- première danseuse
- sujet
- soloist
- coryphée
- corps de ballet
There were only two prima ballerina assolutas in Imperial Russia – Pierina Legnani and Mathilde Kschessinska – and two prime ballerina assolutas in the Soviet Union – Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya. Other persons awarded the title of assoluta include Alicia Alonso from Cuba and Margot Fonteyn from England.
The male equivalent is premièr danseur.
See also
