Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

premier danseur

American  
[pruh-myey dahn-sœr] / prə myeɪ dɑ̃ˈsœr /

noun

plural

premiers danseurs
  1. the leading male dancer in a ballet company.


premier danseur British  
/ prəmje dɑ̃sœr, prəmjɛr dɑ̃søz /

noun

  1. the principal dancer in a ballet company

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of premier danseur

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then he tried the most loyal fans' patience by first presenting Fonteyn and her young new premier danseur in Giselle�one of the most forgettable of all ballets.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

Here the Americans scored an ironic coup, for their production was staged by a premier danseur of the Royal Ballet, David Blair.

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

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