It was a typical New York summer morning, and 50 dancers headed toward Lincoln Center. They had a rehearsal there, and the dancers started warming up to practice different ballet moves. Some even brought their dogs to the theater.
A 30-year-old Asian man stood close to the center. His moves were elegant, with a touch of energy in his motions. He is Chun Wai Chan, born in Huizhou, China. He became the highest ranked dancer in his company in May 2017, and is surprisingly only the fourth Asian to do so.
“I need to focus,” he told himself. “I really need to push myself.”
How he was known
Chan caught the eyes of many people watching “Dance Smash,” a Chinese TV show. His performances of “The Cage” and “Partita” gave Chan his fame. He also gained many fans on social media, where he posts him videos of himself dancing, and tutorials on how to build abs and how to put on makeup.
Georgina Pazcoguin, a fellow activist and dancer said, “It’s an amazing moment not only for him, but for the institution, I can’t underline enough how wonderfully joyous this is and proud I am – and, in the same breath, also know that we have still more to do.”
How did Chan become a dancer?
Chan’s family enrolled him in swimming lessons at a young age, and hoped he would compete in the Olympics when he grew up. Things changed when he went with his sister to ballet classes. He started practicing ballet with his sister at the age of six, and often went to her classes. Although he was one of the only boys there, he enjoyed it. His parents supported him, but still suggested he become a lawyer, doctor, or accountant.
When he turned 12, Chan wrote a note to his parents about how passionate he really was about ballet. His parents sent him to a boarding school in Guangzhou, China, after seeing his determination about dancing.
At age 18, he won the 2010 Prix de Lausanne, which earned him a scholarship at Houston Ballet. He joined the company as an official dancer two years later.
“I’m the first one,” he says, “but I really hope it’s not going to take another 70 years to have another. Princes can be Asian, too.”
A 30-year-old Asian man stood close to the center. His moves were elegant, with a touch of energy in his motions. He is Chun Wai Chan, born in Huizhou, China. He became the highest ranked dancer in his company in May 2017, and is surprisingly only the fourth Asian to do so.
“I need to focus,” he told himself. “I really need to push myself.”
How he was known
Chan caught the eyes of many people watching “Dance Smash,” a Chinese TV show. His performances of “The Cage” and “Partita” gave Chan his fame. He also gained many fans on social media, where he posts him videos of himself dancing, and tutorials on how to build abs and how to put on makeup.
Georgina Pazcoguin, a fellow activist and dancer said, “It’s an amazing moment not only for him, but for the institution, I can’t underline enough how wonderfully joyous this is and proud I am – and, in the same breath, also know that we have still more to do.”
How did Chan become a dancer?
Chan’s family enrolled him in swimming lessons at a young age, and hoped he would compete in the Olympics when he grew up. Things changed when he went with his sister to ballet classes. He started practicing ballet with his sister at the age of six, and often went to her classes. Although he was one of the only boys there, he enjoyed it. His parents supported him, but still suggested he become a lawyer, doctor, or accountant.
When he turned 12, Chan wrote a note to his parents about how passionate he really was about ballet. His parents sent him to a boarding school in Guangzhou, China, after seeing his determination about dancing.
At age 18, he won the 2010 Prix de Lausanne, which earned him a scholarship at Houston Ballet. He joined the company as an official dancer two years later.
“I’m the first one,” he says, “but I really hope it’s not going to take another 70 years to have another. Princes can be Asian, too.”
