Ballerino or Danseur is the correct name

[goclark]

I believe that I heard CNN/MSNBC make a mistake...

They were referring to a Male Dancer as a ballarina.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballerina

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See also: Category:Ballerinas, Category:Prima ballerinas, Category:Prima ballerina assolutas, and Category:Danseurs

Pierina Legnani (left) — the first ballerina ever to be titled as Prima ballerina assoluta — with the Prima ballerina Olga Preobrajenskaya (right). They are costumed for the roles of Medora and Gulnare in the scene Le jardin animé from Marius Petipa's final revival of Le Corsaire for the Imperial Ballet. St. Petersburg, 1899.A ballerina (Italian for female dancer) is a female ballet dancer; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino.

Although the term ballerina is used for any female ballet dancer, it was originally a rank given to an exceptional female soloist in 19th century ballet. The rankings for women, from highest to lowest, were:

Prima ballerina assoluta
Prima ballerina; a.k.a. première sujet or premiopre danseuse
Sujet
Coryphée
Corps de ballet
For men, the ranks were:

Premier danseur noble
Premier danseur
Sujet
Coryphée
Corps de ballet