Hi bart
Thanks for your welcome.
In 'Peer Gynt' the real Peer is, of course, the main character and present for much of the ballet. His aspects are occasionally there all together, but mostly they appear perhaps one at a time, along with Peer himself, and mainly when their particular characteristics are relevant to the plot and the development of Peer's character. From memory I don't think the aspects are necessarily there all the time. I think Neumeier uses this technique to delve deeply into the psychology of his main character, as he likes to do in most of his work.
In 'Play Without Words' there seems to be no fixed rule, but often the characters on stage will be represented by all three versions at once, some involved with each other, some just standing back and watching. At other times only one, or perhaps two versions are present, and sometimes it's like playing the same story over again with different characters. It's all quite complex and I don't know how the audience follow it. You have to read the synopsis, I suppose, and remember that it was based on earlier works, particularly the well-known Dirk Bogarde film 'The Servant'. As a dance work it probably doesn't matter so much if the audience can't easily follow who is who, as we often have to watch much more obscure works.
'Tales of Hoffman was a great film. It's years since I last saw it, and I have a lasting impression of the brilliant colours, turning the candles into jewels, and the 'Barcarole'.
When you come to think of it, the multiple casting of leading roles and the natural passages of ensemble dances, where the steps of the leading dancers are echoed by numerous couples behind them, it is a natural development in ballet to have several dancers playing the same role at the same time.