premier danseur

[ French pruh-myey dahn-sœr ]

noun

, plural pre·miers dan·seurs [p, r, uh, -myey dah, n, -, sœr].

1. the leading male dancer in a ballet company.

premier danseur

/ prəmje dɑ̃sœr; prəmjɛr dɑ̃søz /

noun

1. the principal dancer in a ballet company

Word History and Origins

Origin of premier danseur¹

1820–30; < French: literally, first dancer (masculine)

Word History and Origins

Origin of premier danseur¹

C19: literally: first dancer

Example Sentences

The bigger roles in the classical repertory, essential for the premier danseur, have as yet eluded him.

From The New Yorker

Pablo Picasso designed the sets and costumes, and the choreography was by Leonide Massine, who succeeded Nijinsky as Diaghilev's premier danseur.

From Time Magazine Archive

Her father was premier danseur in the Madrid Opera ballet in which she herself made her debut at 9.

From Time Magazine Archive

The handsome blond dancer became in fact, if not in name, the premier danseur of City Ballet, especially in his ability to partner great ballerinas.

From Time Magazine Archive

Although he lacked the passionate dynamism of Rudolf Nureyev or Mikhail Baryshnikov's transparent, effortless style, some critics believed that he was fully the equal of those famed Soviet emigres as a premier danseur.

From Time Magazine Archive