Male ballerina?

[adsar]

is there an actual name for male 'ballerinas' or are they just male dancers? I had this conversation with a Russian friend of mine and she said they were just called male dancers...but who cares! in english anyone?

[elpea]

Apparently 'ballerina' is Italian for 'dancer', so is not necessarily gender specific, as far as I remember

[elpea]

- forgot to add this! 'Danseur' is the French word for male ballet dancer, also 'balletomane' can be applied.

[kempie]

Ballerina is the feminine form of the Italian word for dancer. Therefore it would not be incorrect to use the masculine form ballerino for a male dancer.

[Octavius]

Technically the male equivalent of a ballerina would be a ballerino but the term is hardly ever used. In ballet circles they are called male dancers, the Kirov ballet website lists them as the Kirov male dancers and Rudolf Nuryev was known as a male dancer.

[elpea]

I know no male ballet dancers who would call themselves 'ballerino' - they said that the ballerina term can apply generally, hence my first answer.