perky Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Does this title exist anymore? It's been so long since I've heard it applied to a dancer that it almost sounds quant. Is it more of a courtesy title or does it have real implications as far as salary, casting, etc? What's the criteria for becoming an Assoluta? Is it simply a matter of seniority or does it involve more? For instance, does the dancer have to be proficient in all aspects of the repertory? Just as good as a lyrical Odette as she is a quicksilver allegro Aurora? Margot Fonteyn comes to mind and that's the last ballerina I can thinks of as having the Assoluta title. Thanks! Link to comment
lampwick Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 I think it's "Assoluta" Great question though. Link to comment
perky Posted March 31, 2004 Author Share Posted March 31, 2004 I've seen it with both terms. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Years ago, Francis Mason interviewed Suzanne Farrell at a session for which written questions from the audience were solicited in advance. To show off both my Italian and my devotion to Suzanne, I addressed her as "Prima Ballerina Assolutissima." Both she and and Mr. Mason seemed impressed. Link to comment
rg Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 the 'official' title: PRIMA BALLERINA ASSOLUTA came to the fore in imperial Russia - tho' it might have precedent in italy - and was conferred only twice, if mem. serves: for Pierina Legnani and for Mathilde Felixovna Kshessinska. (in the soviet era Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova was given the honor, i think.) Margot Fonteyn was, i seem to recall, given the title late in her career by the powers that be in britain. [one source i read at one point defined the designation as meaning "without category', that is, not specifically a 'classical' or 'lyrical' or 'caractere' type but an artist who crossed categories. obviously being revered by the public and the theater administration(s) is also a reason the title was so selectively granted.] there were any number of titles conferred in the soviet era. Honored People's Artist, etc. Petipa was First Ballet Master to His Majesty etc. Pavel Gerdt had a special title too, which escapes me at the moment. Link to comment
sandik Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Oh lordy. As always, RG's historical materials are dead on -- there have been very few "official" assolutas. But like the term "prima ballerina" I've seen it applied indiscriminately by people who don't really understand the distinction but like the sense of hyperbole. It's a bit like grade inflation -- any woman dancing on pointe is immediately labled as a ballerina, so whichever dancer is the leader of that group is automatically a prima, which leaves nothing left for a dancer of real distinction. Sigh. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 There was a later move to confer the title on Olga Preobrajenska, and after that Vera Trefilova, but nothing came of them. Dance Magazine started using the term sort of willy-nilly a few years ago, but it was obvious from their choices for conferees that they were using it for "good ole gal who should have hung it up some years ago." Danilova is supposed to have said "Prima Ballerina Assoluta is like five-star general." Link to comment
perky Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 Thanks for the distinction between a real "official" prima ballerina assoluta and someone just tacking the title onto ole dancer they want to. What's funny is that I typed in prima ballerina assoluta on a couple of search engines and was suprised by how many different ballerinas were supposedly granted this title. Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I worked for an assoluta in Italy! It is part of their language. There are quite a few in Italy! Link to comment
Cygnet Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 (edited) the 'official' title: PRIMA BALLERINA ASSOLUTA came to the fore in imperial Russia - tho' it might have precedent in italy - and was conferred only twice, if mem. serves: for Pierina Legnani and for Mathilde Felixovna Kshessinska. (in the soviet era Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova was given the honor, i think.) Margot Fonteyn was, i seem to recall, given the title late in her career by the powers that be in britain. [one source i read at one point defined the designation as meaning "without category', that is, not specifically a 'classical' or 'lyrical' or 'caractere' type but an artist who crossed categories. obviously being revered by the public and the theater administration(s) is also a reason the title was so selectively granted.] there were any number of titles conferred in the soviet era. Honored People's Artist, etc. Petipa was First Ballet Master to His Majesty etc. Pavel Gerdt had a special title too, which escapes me at the moment. Pavel Gerdt's title was "Soloist (Premier Danseur) to His Imperial Majesty;" this was during the reigns of Alexander III and Nicholas II. The Soviet government gave Ulanova many titles, among them People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labor, but not Assoluta. After suffering persecution from Stalin's KGB in the summer of her career, (late 40s - 50s), Maya Plisetskaya was given the title by N. Kruschchev. She is the only prima ballerina of the Soviet era to be awarded the title. Edited April 2, 2004 by Cygnet Link to comment
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