Soloist (ballet)

In ballet, a soloist is a rank or position in a ballet company. This rank is above the corps de ballet but below principal dancer.[1]

As signified by the name, dancers at this level begin to perform more leading roles and sections of dancing where they may be the only person dancing at times,[2] a solo. They may dance solo and minor roles in a ballet, such as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet or one of the Fairies in The Sleeping Beauty. They may also serve as understudies for the leading roles of a story.[3]

  1. ^ Koegler, Horst (1982). Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-311330-5.
  2. ^ Bloom, Heather (February 1, 2024). "Understanding Ballet Hierarchy". The Australian Ballet. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Chhabra, Dyumna (2024-05-28). "Careers in Ballet: Understanding a Ballet Company Hierarchy". The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet (TLFCB). Retrieved 2024-08-28.