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Signature roles?


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I hope this topic provokes fond memories and some good discussion!

What's a "signature role" for a dancer?

I can think of a few different contexts. Sometimes it's the role that caused you to realize they were special. It doesn't have to be a great ballet, just a great role for them. For me, her roles in Two and Three Part Inventions and Polyphonia made me a complete believer in Alexandra Ansanelli.

Sometimes it's a role the dancer has had made on them that summarizes everything they are. Merrill Ashley in Ballo della Regina. 'Nuff said.

Sometimes there's a role a dancer has done throughout their career so much and so well that they signify an era. Kyra Nichols as the "Russian Girl" in Serenade.

Some more dancers and their signature roles for me:

Jeff Edwards - Behind the China Dogs, Melancholic in 4Ts.

Helene Alexopoulos - Behind the China Dogs. It's interesting how this work defined the late 80's at NYCB and how astutely it deployed its cast.

Peter Boal - Melancholic, but see my comments below on Kistler.

Miranda Weese - Ballet Imperial (that was the role where I became a believer)

Interestingly, I can't think of signature roles for some of the dancers I love the most, like Darci Kistler. Almost everything she touched bore her signature to me, even the things she wasn't suited to.

So what's a signature role to you, and name some dancers and their signature roles!

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Interesting question Leigh. How about

Rubies, The Man I loved, and Copelia for Patrecia McBride. The siren in prodigal and the second lead in Rubies for Karen von Aroldingen. Similar to Darcy for Farrell - anything she ever danced.

How about Bagaku and Calcum Light Night for Heather Watts. Its getting late..... frown.gif

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Very interesting topic. I think even the greatest dancers with the greatest range have signature roles -- they just have more of them. To me, a signature role is one that defines the dancer. If you had an out of town guest and you wanted to take them to see a dancer you loved, or an important dancer, you'd hope that THAT was the role you could take them to see.

So, for me, Nureyev -- although he was an extraordinary Albrecht, Siegfried, Armand, and a couple of dozen other things -- the signature roles were the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux and the Corsaire pas de deux -- and that's what he generally danced at galas. If I could have three, I'd add Albrecht and Siegfried and Armand, but you got the essence of Nureyev in those two classical pas de deux, I think.

Ashley, "Ballo" and "Square Dance."

To show an example of range, I asked dozens of dancers who saw Henning Kronstam perform what his signature roles were and got: James in La Sylphide; the Toreador in Carmen; Cyrano; the teacher in The Lesson; Jean in Miss Julie; Franz Pander in Bagage (a mime ballet); Romeo in Ashton's Romeo and Juliet; Apollo; and the Poet in Balanchine's Sonnambula. The acting roles weren't late ones; he would have been performing all these roles at the same time, in his early to mid-30s. You needed to see him in all of them to understand the range. Another aspect of signature roles.

Farrell. I only know the post-1974 Farrell; I think she may have been different prior to that. "Chaconne," "Diamonds," "Davidsbundlertanz," "Vienna Waltzes." That leaves out the "black and white" side, but I didn't see her perform those roles very often.

Von Aroldingen -- a dancer whose career was made up of signature roles and who would probably have been stuck as Queen and Giselle's Mother in any other company. The Girl Who Comes Late in Serenade, Vienna Waltzes, Episodes, the Siren, Davidsbundlertanz.

Baryshnikov -- Push Comes to Shove, Sinatra Suite, Don Q and Don Q pas de deux. Almost everyone else in the world would add Albrecht.

Asylmuratova -- I only saw the On Tour Asylmuratova, which was a different creature, I'm sure, than the At Home Asylmuratova, but I've never seen a dancer defined by two comparatively minor roles -- she transformed them into major ones: Esmeralda pas de deux and her solo in Paquita.

I only saw Late Late Fonteyn, and she was pretty much down to Marguerite. Of course, history will say she's The great Western Aurora, and Ashton said that Chloe was the role he missed her the most in.

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For our dancers in San FRancisco, Joanna Berman as the cowgirl in Rodeo -- she made that role into something poignant, hilarious, achingly real -- I don't konw if anybody else has ever done it that way, but she brought out all those awkward sides of adolescence like Lynda Barry does in her cartoon-novels. Joanna's cowgirl didn't want to grow up, especially not if she had to be a GIRL, she was fighting it, she didn't want to compete in that arena.... It's been 10 years since I saw her do it, butI'll never forget it... of course, she was fabulous at all the steps, but they were strictly secondary... and THEN the way she looked in that yellow dress, ridiculous, hilarious, adorable.....

She is such a warm dancer, when she dances the waltz girl in Serenade, the light is not blue any more, it seems like the sun has come out...

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Tallchief--Firebird

Farrell--Tzigane, Diamonds, Mozartiana, Vienna Waltzes

Kistler--Titania in Midsummer

Nichols--whatever she dances, so changes over time--at moment, Pavanne, the McBride signature piece (along with others named here), Vienna Waltzes

Calegari--Liebeslieder,Mozartiana (she took this over from Farrell in the most amazingly perfumed performance)

Peter Martins--Apollo

Adam Luders--Davidbundlertanze

Peter Boal--Oberon

Damien Woetzel--Prodigal Son

I can see where I might go on forever here, and I haven't even gotton to ABT. In thinking about this, I am struck by the utility dancer--like that divine glamourpuss Helene Alexopolous--who dances many roles exceedingly well without having particular signatures. And Wendy Whelan, too. Et.al. I have also started recalling Balanchine's will, which certainly indicates who he thought were the "owners of roles." Others here are more expert on this topic than I, said person(s) having copies of said document.

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