Coryphée is a classical ballet term that means “leader.” It is only applied to a leader of the corps de ballet, not to a soloist or prinicpal, and is sometimes a rank within very large ballet companies, such as Paris Opera Ballet. The term isn’t widely used nor is a dancer ever signified as “the leader of the corps” unless it is made officially into the rank. A coryphée isn’t necessarily determined by ability, but usually it is the dancer who is often in front of a line, which is usually determined by height, that the dancers behind must follow for small changes in timing and spacing.
