How Do Dancer Ranking Systems Seen in “Ballet 422” Work in Professional Dance Companies?
Ballet 422 (2014) makes it easy to see the difficulty Justin Peck sometimes finds in correcting the mistakes of other dancers. After all, during the production he was a member of the corps de ballet, the lowest tier of a professional dance company’s hierarchy. The dancers he employed for his production were principals, the highest rank any ballet dancer can achieve, and Peck had to point out what they were doing wrong in his choreography. He did it with poise and conviction, but there were times you could see the reservation in his face, or hear it in his voice. Even though Peck is a phenomenal dancer and better than 99.5% of every other dancer in the country, the principals represent the pinnacle of dance perfection.
I mean, Tiler Peck was in his piece. She’s just gorgeous.
As far as professional ballet companies go, the hierarchy system works like this:
Corps de Ballet - This is the lowest tier of a professional company. Members of the corps usually dance the ensemble parts of ballets. They’re the ones comprising groups of people, often moving together, not really being showcased in any individual way.
Soloist - The second-highest tier of a professional company. These dancers get roles in ballets that showcase their talents individually, but aren’t leading roles in the ballet. They get to break away from the corps and dance on their own as the center of attention, but they aren’t the subject of the piece’s narrative. There is a rank between Corps and Soloist known as a demi-soloist, or “second” soloist, but it’s usually not granted as an “official” dancer rank within the company’s hierarchy.
Principal - The principal dancers are the “stars” of a ballet company. They’re the all-star team. They get the lead roles in the ballets, earn the most money, and effectively serve as the “face” of the company.
This gender-neutral dance hierarchy has not always been in place. Formerly, men and women had different titles. Women sought to be Prima ballerinas, while men aspired for the rank of Premier danseur.
Justin Peck, who was a member of NYCB’s corps de ballet from 2007 through the time this documentary was filmed, has since been promoted to a Soloist for the company. Additionally he holds the title of Resident Choreographer for NYCB, the second ever in the company’s history.