There is nothing quite as breathtaking as watching the flock of majestic swans move in poetic unison, nothing as gut-wrenching as mourning alongside the townspeople as their beloved friend Mercutio dies. In any performance, the corps de ballet transports audiences to the time and place of the ballet, setting the tone and establishing the world in which the story takes place.
The backbone of any ABT performance, the corps de ballet brings unparalleled technique and artistic integrity to the stage night after night, unified in their delivery of the evening’s tale. But within, and behind, this unified front are individual dancers—each with their own stories, struggles, and journeys—who, without them, there would be no ballet.
“The corps has its own story, the corps sets the mood of the different scenes, and each and every one of us contributes something,” comments Alejandro Valera Outlaw. A new addition to the corps de ballet, Valera Outlaw touches on the central tenant that Regisseur Susan Jones says has been her goal for over 45 years at the helm of the corps de ballet.
Jones hopes to “instill in the corps not only a sense of importance but a sense of contribution, artistically.” With some companies she maintains, “you can have a corps de ballet that is amazingly in unison, that the lines are perfect in a classical ballet, but it doesn't always translate into an artistic experience."
To achieve these artistic standards—those that contribute to American Ballet Theatre’s esteemed legacy of story ballets—corps de ballet members are charged with developing their own character for each ballet.
They’re asked to create a villager’s quirky personality or craft the broken-hearted tale of how they became a Wili. Corps de ballet member Melvin Lawovi says, “They train us in a way that we look cohesive on stage, but they don’t strip off our originality and essence of who we are as dancers. They do leave a wide range for creativity."
This autonomy is a celebration of the different strengths within the Company and allows for each member of the corps de ballet to find a sense of pride in their growth as artists and ballet technicians.These triumphant moments can be found both on stage in front of eager audiences and in the quiet routine of the rehearsal studio. Valera Outlaw says he feels most accomplished after a good class when he can feel himself improving in the technical aspects. He also recognizes that being on stage, “feeling free and enjoying the choreography, the music, the repertoire” makes him feel fulfilled.
In agreement, veteran corps de ballet member Isadora Loyola says she is really proud “when I can do a great class and can do every exercise and feel satisfied with myself.” Self-described as “more of an artist,” Loyola relishes moments in class “when I feel in total control of the technique of ballet because that never came easily for me.”
Being in the corps de ballet is unique because the accomplishments are not just individual. Corps de ballet member Kotomi Yamada shares, “as a corps in a full-length ballet, like Giselle or Swan Lake, when everyone is doing the exact same thing at the exact same time—I just love that moment when everyone is together dancing in the center.” She says the final pose, knowing you’ve all danced in sync, is the most successful she feels when performing.
This togetherness—the ability to seemingly breathe as one—has noticeably strengthened in the last 10 years or so. Jones recognizes a real sense of mutual respect and support for each other among corps members, a notion echoed by many of the dancers.
Yamada shared that one of the biggest benefits from joining the corps de ballet in September 2022 was that in addition to the teachers and coaches she’s had over the years, she was now gifted with many mentors in the form of colleagues and friends. On the other end of the spectrum, having been in the corps for many years, Loyola shared that the younger dancers “have so much to offer and are eager to listen. It’s a nice exchange that I learn from them, and they learn from me.”
The reciprocity between members and the fact that everyone has gone through a similar path to get to this level creates a true “sense of support and of family,” according to Lawovi, the community of the Company sustaining the dancers as much as their physical regime. “At the end of the day,” says Loyola, “it’s a beautiful career."
