The pride of the Russian ballet theater is the corps de ballet. The evenness of lines, precision, unity of poses, synchrony of transitions, a single breath, as is often said in ballet theater. How is this achieved?

The role of a repetiteur for the corps de ballet is a complex and highly responsible position in the ballet theater. Earlier in my letter dedicated to the corps de ballet of performances, I mentioned that the discipline of the corps de ballet is cultivated within the troupe over years. Not every repetiteur can succeed in working with the corps de ballet, such a crucial element for any ballet performance and simply key in classical repertoire: “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” “La Bayadère,” “Don Quixote,” “Corsair,” and many others.

At first glance, it seems straightforward—just a few days of rehearsals, corrections, and everything should fall into place. If only it were that simple.

Achieving synchrony takes many hours of rehearsal. Ballet is an athletic art form, but not a sport. Simply executing synchronously is only part of the task.

Conveying the artistic goal, the spirit of the performance—this is much more difficult. Daily rehearsals, explaining each pose, each movement—it’s important not only to achieve perfectly identical positions of the head or arms, heights of legs, or uniform execution of various movements, but also the unity of the emotional state of the pose, style, different for each performance, unity of breath. This is precisely what has made the corps de ballet of the Russian ballet theater famous around the world.

Each ballet performance—whether classical or modern—has its own style of choreographic language. Knowledge of performance techniques, styles, and the talent to feel the nuances of the choreographer’s distinct style when working on a new production are essential qualities for a repetiteur. The ability to convey this to a group of dancers is a talent multiplied by experience and hard work.

During rehearsal, it is necessary to work on the material with each dancer, to achieve precise understanding of the performance, and to patiently continue this work day after day. Each dancer has their own individuality. In the corps de ballet, it should not be visible. There is only one individuality—the individuality of the corps de ballet. Dedicated artists—repetiteurs of the corps de ballet. A talent not given to everyone.

Often, you notice a situation: young dancers come to the theater, and it takes just two or three to place in the performance—and the whole ensemble falls apart. It’s as if starting all over again. The repetiteur’s distressed face, the upset director, the tired, upset dancers.

I joined the ballet at the Bolshoi Theater as part of a group of graduates from the Moscow Academic Choreographic School (now the Moscow State Academy of Choreography). We were immediately called for rehearsals to prepare us for the company’s repertoire. Daily, for weeks, the girls rehearsed the ballet “Giselle,” while the boys were prepared for the male corps de ballet scenes from various performances. We rehearsed separately, sometimes inviting one or two senior dancers well-versed in the material. Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal… until the desired understanding of unity and precision of poses was achieved.

I remember our girls, exhausted, dragging themselves out of the theater.

And the next day, despite their exhaustion, the repetiteurs took rehearsals with the youth again, to prepare us for the precision of the theater’s performance style. This is how the repetiteurs prepared the famous corps de ballet of the Bolshoi Theater. And every young dancer went through this process.

Later, a few of those who, in the repetiteur’s opinion, were ready, were introduced into the main corps de ballet. And again, rehearsals, now with experienced senior dancers of the troupe.

With what sympathy we watched the young dancers who came to the theater the following year!

Preparing the corps de ballet, understanding the task of each rehearsal precisely, planning time, and maintaining unity, style, and evenness of performance from performance to performance—this is an incredibly complex task, performed by remarkable and talented individuals—the repetiteurs of the corps de ballet.

How unfortunate that theater directors often do not understand the complexity of this process, this profession. Maintaining the corps de ballet is an immensely important task for any theater, any troupe. Preparing new dancers for the company’s performances is an enormous job, and only repetiteurs know how to approach it.

© Konstantin Uralsky