Sentence:  Ninette was only a "sujet", a soloist, and a new-made one at that—one step up from the <WSD>"coryphées</WSD>", and two from the "quadrilles" of the chorus, but not yet to the exalted status of the "premier danseurs" and as far from the "etoiles" as she was from the stars in the sky. <WSD>"Coryphées</WSD>" did not often have new shoes; one could see them backstage at rehearsal covering their old shoes with new silk, reblocking and reglueing the toes. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A ballet dancer ranking above a member of the corps de ballet and below a soloist.