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Wikipedia / Principal dancer

A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. A principal may be of any gender and is usually the star of the ballet. The term is used mostly in ballet but can be used in other forms as well, such as modern dance. The term senior principal dancer is sometimes used as well.

The position is similar to that of soloist; however, principals regularly perform not only solos, but also pas de deux as well as headlining performances they participate in. Principal dancers can be hired into a dance company or can also be promoted from within the company. That process can take multiple performance seasons to achieve based on skill level and company interest.

Synonyms and origin

The Italian derived term prima ballerina (female dancers) (primo ballerino for male dancers) or the French derived term premier danseur (male dancers) have been used to denote similar levels of prominence to the Principal Dancer. In the Paris Opera Ballet, principal dancers receive the title of danseur étoile.

France

The title of premier danseur is awarded to the dancer who reaches the second-highest rung in the Paris Opéra ballet hierarchy, after having been a sujet.

As early as 1803–1804, the title was used by Jean-Georges Noverre as a synonym for "premier sujet", the highest echelon of the ballet company, before being replaced by "étoile" at the end of the 19th century.

Current principal dancers

Royal BalletRoyal Ballet

(as of 2023–2025 seasons)

American Ballet TheatreAmerican Ballet Theatre

(as of 2023–2024 seasons)

Martha Graham Dance CompanyMartha Graham Modern Dance Company

(as of 2018–2019 seasons)

Miami City BalletMiami City Ballet

Source:

(as of 2023–2024 seasons)

  • Nathalia Arja

  • Dawn Atkins

  • Hannah Fischer

  • Samantha Hope Galler

  • Ashley Knox

  • Jennifer Lauren

  • Steven Loch

  • Yuliia Moskalenko

  • Stanislav Olshanskyi

  • Alexander Peters

  • Chase Swatosh

New York City BalletNew York City Ballet

Source:

(as of 2023–2024 seasons)

Bolshoi BalletBolshoi Ballet Company

  • Alyona Kovalyova

  • Ekaterina Krysanova

  • Anna Nikulina

  • Evgenia Obraztsova

  • Eleonora Sevenard

  • Anastasia Stashkevich

  • Yulia Stepanova

  • Svetlana Zakharova

  • Artemy Belyakov

  • Vladislav Lantratov

  • Artem Ovcharenko

  • Igor Tsvirko

  • Semyon Chudin

  • Mikhail Lobukhin

  • Denis Rodkin

  • Egor Gerashchenko

  • Vyacheslav Lopatin

  • Denis Savin

Teatro alla ScalaTeatro alla Scala

Source:

  • Antonella Albano

  • Martina Arduino

  • Alice Mariani

  • Virna Toppi

  • Marco Agostino

  • Timofej Andrijashenko

  • Claudio Coviello

  • Nicola Del Freo

  • Antonino Sutera

  • Navrin Turnbull

Principal dancers in two or more companies

References