Hierarchical Structure

[citibob]

Learning a repertiore through the corps-soloist-principal transition is a good thing for those who mature through repetition and study. For those who grow via inborn talent or intuition, then immediate access to principal parts is important. Directors often see students with talent and give them solo roles immediately upon entrance into the company.

I'm not so sure of this. From the minute she walked into SAB, Allegra Kent was identified as an amazing talent; and she was dancing for Mr. Balanchine only four years later. But she still went through a time as apprentice, then corps, then principle (she skipped soloist). That gave her ample time to learn the repertoire from different angles.

[Leigh Witchel]

I don't think those two statements are mutually exclusive. I think it is the conventional wisdom (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) in institutional companies that some time in the corps is healthy even for those expected to become principal dancers. It tends to be a good deal shorter for some people (Darci Kistler or Damian Woetzel are good examples) and in many cases there are solo parts as well as corps work to do.

[Alexandra]

The Russian system was once more like the opera training system -- stars were stars and chorus was chorus, and the very special ones were singled out early and coached in the big roles in their employ -- but I'm sure that's long gone.

A friend of mine who's an ABT watcher once said something about the difference between Cynthia Harvey, who spent a long time in the corps, and Susan Jaffe, who was plunked down in the company as a junior principal (whatever her official rank) is that when Harvey danced on of the big roles she seemed to be one with the corps, to have come out of the corps, while Jaffe, for awhile at least, was separate from it. I think she had a point -- it's different for every dancer, at least, but dancing in the corps is a good way to assimilate company style. I also remember Darci Kistler wanting to dance her corps parts when she was dancing quite a few big roles -- you just want to DANCE, and especially in NYCB, many corps roles are so meaty that one can understand why!