Exploring Feminine Leadership in the Ballet Industry
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Authors
Paulina Rivet
Issue Date
2026
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Language
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Abstract
To be a dancer and to be a choreographer may seem similar, yet in reality they are two very different roles. It is a choreographer’s job to construct and coordinate physical movement, whereas the dancer’s job is to produce that movement and present the choreographer’s vision onstage. Perhaps the most strict difference between the two is found within the genre of classical ballet, known for its tradition, elegance, and refined aesthetic, where the vast majority of ballet choreographers are male, while the vast majority of ballet dancers are female.
As a lifelong ballet dancer, I have taken on a new challenge this year in the form of undertaking a ballet choreography project as a female. For starters, I began researching the origins of ballet and learning about Marius Petipa, ballet master of Russia’s Imperial Ballet, arguably the most influential choreographer in all classical ballet. Within his choreography, typically only one female would be featured as a soloist or principal dancer, and this honor always included dancing a long pas de deux, or partner dance, with the lead male danseur.
Last fall, I began to construct my own piece of ballet choreography, knowing that it would be performed three times: once at the Fall Dance Concert, once at our region’s college dance conference, and once at the Student Choreography Concert. Going in with an all-female cast, and I decided to experiment with the following questions: What if each female was featured equally? What if the story was driven not by their relationship to a male, but their relationship to each other? What if the choreography was designed by a female, for female dancers? As I began to answer these questions, I turned to the rich history of ballet for inspiration. My research will explore five legendary ballerinas: Marie Taglioni, Fanny Cerrito, Lucile Grahn, Anna Pavlova, and Carlotta Grisi. Each dancer’s contributions and innovation to the ballet art form will be discussed, as I use their work as inspiration to further develop my own choreography. By the end of the semester, I will have created a piece of ballet choreography that explores and celebrates a female focus within ballet.