Prima ballerina assoluta
Prima ballerina assoluta is a title awarded to the most notable of female ballet dancers. To be recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta is a rare honour, traditionally reserved for the most exceptional dancers of their generation. Originally inspired by the Italian ballet masters of the early Romantic ballet and literally meaning 'absolute first ballerina', the title was bestowed on prima ballerinas who were considered exceptionally talented, performing to a higher standard than other leading ballerinas.
The title is rarely applied to dancers today. Recent titles have not been awarded, although some ballerinas have been regarded worthy of the title symbolically. Reasons for granting have included public recognion and praise for a prestigious international career, and for giving 'exceptional service' to their ballet company.
Currently, no universal procedure or common criteria exists for ballet companies to determine whether to grant this title to a dancer.
This has led to disputes and conflict amongst those in the ballet community concerning what standards are required to legitimately claim the 'assoluta' moniker.
Usually, ballet companies are responsible for determining to grant, then bestow, the 'assoluta' title. In some cases, however, the title is sanctioned or awarded by a government or head of state, thus giving it official status. Unfortunately, some of these awards are used as a political tool rather than being awarded for legitimate artistic achievement.
It is also possible for a dancer to be awarded 'prima ballerina assoluta' status as a result of prevailing public opinion and critical acclaim.
History
The first recorded use of the title as a company rank was in 1894, when French ballet master Marius Petipa bestowed it on Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani. He considered her to be the supreme leading ballerina in all of Europe.The second ballerina to be given the title was Legnani's contemporary Mathilde Kschessinska, in 1895. Petipa, however, did not agree that she should hold such a title; although an extraordinary ballerina, he felt that she obtained the title primarily via her connections with the Imperial Russian court, as she had an affair with Nicholas II, as well as two other Romanovs.
Legnani's heir in the Italian ballet tradition, Attilia Radice trained with Enrico Cecchetti at La Scala in Milan where she became a leading dancer and was appointed prima ballerina assoluta at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in 1935.
The only Soviet ballerinas to hold the title were Galina Ulanova, acclaimed as prima ballerina assoluta in 1944, and Maya Plisetskaya in 1960.
The Swiss-born American Eva Evdokimova became recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta following guest appearances with the Kirov Ballet in the 1970s, when she was named as such by the company ballet mistress, Natalia Dudinskaya. The title was later recognised by a vote of the Senate of Berlin.
Other dancers awarded the title include Anneli Alhanko from Sweden, Alicia Alonso from Cuba, Alessandra Ferri from Italy, and Alicia Markova and Margot Fonteyn, both from England.
The only French dancer to hold the title is Yvette Chauviré.
Though the U.S. has no process for designation of the title, Rudolf Nureyev referred to the American ballerina Cynthia Gregory of the American Ballet Theatre as the nation's prima ballerina assoluta; however this has never been formally acknowledged. Another not to hold the title is Anna Pavlova, one of the best known ballerinas in history.
In South Africa, the only ballerina granted the title prima ballerina assoluta was Phyllis Spira.