figurant
Definition
- Noun:
- Ballet performer: A "figurant" refers to a dancer who performs in a ballet ensemble, typically in a supporting role without a solo part.
- Theatrical extra: In theatre, a "figurant" is an actor who plays a minor, non-speaking role, such as a background character in a crowd scene.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The figurant moved gracefully across the stage, blending into the background of the principal dancers. (A ballet performer in a supporting role.)
- In the play, the figurant stood silently among the townspeople, adding depth to the scene. (A theatrical extra with no lines.)
Advanced Usage
- "to serve as a figurant": to act in a minor or subordinate capacity.
- He was hired to serve as a figurant in the opera, appearing only in the final act. (He took a minor, non-speaking role.)
Variants and Related Words
Figurante (n, feminine): a female figurant.
- The figurante was praised for her precise movements during the ensemble dance. (A female dancer in a supporting role.)
Figuration (n): the act of representing or shaping something, or the arrangement of figures in art or performance.
- The figuration of the dancers created a beautiful pattern on stage. (The arrangement of figures in the performance.)
Synonyms
- Extra: a person hired to appear in a non-speaking role in a film or play.
- Supernumerary: an extra person or performer, especially in a theatrical production.
Related Idioms
Play a bit part: to have a small, insignificant role.
- She was content to play a bit part in the production, much like a figurant. (To have a minor role.)
Walk-on role: a small part in a play or film where the character appears briefly, often without speaking.
- His walk-on role as a figurant lasted only thirty seconds. (A brief, non-speaking appearance.)