The Corps de ballet women

©Photograpy by Ash
Dancers from the English National Ballet during the second act of Giselle choreographed by Mary Skeaping.

When one thinks of the Corps de ballet we automatically visualise a group of willis, swans, sylphs or nymphs. However, little is mentioned about the empathy, the energy and the friendship that is forged between this extraordinary group. Those that have experienced the reality of the corps de ballet say, these group experiences, no matter how many years go by, will only ever be understood by others who have also experienced it firsthand. Similarly, this can be said about the ranks of the classical dance ensemble. These group ventures are accompanied by the titles of the greatest classical works. The memories immediately transport you to theatres in specific cities, with specific smells and even the pains return to your body simply by remembering the anecdotes. Today’s media seem to capture only the frictions, the envy and the negative moments of the corps de ballet (which of course there are), but if we are honest, this does not wholly represent our profession or experiences.

On stage, my best memories as a corps de ballet dancer are from performing ‘Sylphs’. We seemed to feel a special connection, that we had never felt in any other rehearsal (never underestimate a port de bras from first to fifth position in twelve long, endless counts). Another wonderful collective moment was hearing ‘the bells at dawn’ at the end of the second act of Giselle, just prior to executing Albrecht’s betrayal. After a great number of jumps, all balancing on our toes, holding our breath, until that fifth turn into a faltering bourreé to disperse. Those bells not only signified the ‘return to our graves’, but also the end of the ballet and consequently the end of the day. The memories from Swan Lake are also special, and even more so if we are talking about the ‘in-the round’ version that the English National Ballet performs at the Royal Albert Hall. After a double show day with eight acts behind you, empathising with Odette's sadness during the fourth act is only a glance away. I can still remember the group feeling of communal grief. 

Everything strengthened the bonds between us. I suppose I was lucky to be in a company where it was "normal" for your colleagues to get angry if you were sick and they had to take your place, regardless of the role; In other companies it can be the opposite as dancers are desperate for any form of stage time. We looked after each other, in the dressing rooms, we shared tears, laughter and secrets, that's what made us even stronger on stage. Not everything was harmonious, life never is, but that's precisely why we tried to make it easier for each other. The older dancers gave advice to the newcomers. I remember, as a newcomer, being advised to wear black in rehearsals with a certain choreographer who changed your name to the colour of your clothes, because although we were a team, we were made up of many special and very different women, whose job was to blend in with each other to look like a flock of starlings in the air. 

Being part of the group was not just about dancing. Each dancer had her role: those of us in the back row (the tall ones) made sure that the rows in front were impeccable and that nobody went out of line; those in the front row (the not so tall ones) took the baton and clearly marked the breaths for us all, signals that reached those in the back row through the central block (the medium height ones). That was our role on stage, but off stage, each dancer played a very different role: the funny one, the positive one, the one who protested loudly for everyone, the one who knew all the gossip and livened up the break times, the one who controlled everything related to foot wounds and injuries, the one who did everyone’s hair, the one who did everyone’s make-up, or the one who always went out between shows and brought chocolate to those of us who spent the break napping under our dressing tables. 

Today I’m writing these lines to celebrate our day, because each of us is different and special. Here's to all those women that I have met along the way, and to those that I am yet to meet. The rush to get off the bus, the early mornings to get to the venues and to get a good spot in the dressing room, we shall leave that for another time.