Swedish dancer wins Italian award: “Amazing for me as a ballet nerd”

Kalle Wigle had barely begun settling into his promotion to principal dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin when another distinction arrived. On September 5, the Swedish dancer will receive the prestigious Léonide Massine Prize for Dancer of the Year in Positano, Italy.

“It’s a little unreal,” Wigle said. He had only just been promoted in Berlin and was still trying to absorb that change when the award came “quite suddenly.” The prize is one of the older distinctions in dance, and its previous honorees include Rudolf Nureyev, Maurice Béjart, Mats Ek and Ana Laguna.

“For me as a ballet nerd, it’s amazing to be named one of the dancers of the year and to find myself in that company,” he said.

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It’s a little unreal. I was just promoted to principal dancer in Berlin and am trying to settle into it. Then this award came quite suddenly.

Wigle said the promotion has not dramatically changed the work itself. Since joining the Berlin company as a soloist, he has already performed the larger roles. The difference now lies in the responsibility: a principal dancer carries the ballet in a different way and is expected to serve as a role model for the rest of the company.

His favorite role is Albrecht in “Giselle,” one of the first roles he performed after arriving in Berlin. He is due to perform it again, with the premiere next week. Each return, he said, offers a chance to explore the character more deeply, drawing on as much of himself as possible. His understanding changes over time, while the music remains especially beautiful.

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For me as a ballet nerd, it’s amazing to be named one of the dancers of the year and to find myself in that company.