But history shows that donning the feathered guise of a rooster has sent many of the nation's top dancers on to stardom.
South Australian Remi Wortmeyer will be hoping the tradition continues when he plays the comical role of Cockerell in the Australian Ballet's production of La Fille mal gardee later this month.
Previous chickens of note include such esteemed dancers as Andris Toppe and the ballet's former principal artist and now artistic director David McAllister.
"I think Maina (Gielgud) cast me in this role as she always thought I had legs like drumsticks," David jokes.
Adelaide kicks off the company's national tour with a string of SA natives returning home to perform the 215-year-old ballet. Tim Farrar, 29, Jes'se Passamani, 21, and Simon Vaughan, 24, will dance the roles of boyfriends, Luke Ingham, 18, will play a peasant boy while Danielle Rowe will perform as the girlfriend.
Danielle, 21, was recently one of six dancers nominated for the Telstra Young Ballet Dancer of the Year. She moved to Melbourne at 15 to pursue her ballet career and joined the Australian Ballet in 2001.
Rounding out the ballet's Adelaide connection will be assistant company manager Paul Marrollo and physiotherapist Laura Rabone.
La Fille mal gardee opens at the Festival Theatre next Saturday, May 22.