Chun Wai Chan, who joined New York City Ballet as a soloist in August of 2021, has recently been promoted to principal rank.
The former Houston Ballet principal has debuted many roles in NYCB’s 2021-2022 Repertory Season with one more to come before it comes to a close: Titania’s Cavalier in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Born in Guangdong, China, Chan trained at the Guangzhou Art School from 2004 to 2010 and has since compiled a list of accomplishments in the ballet industry including:
- 2010: Finalist at the Prix de Lausanne
- 2012: Joined Houston Ballet
- 2016: Featured in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch”
- 2017: Pointe Magazine’s “Standouts of 2017.”
- 2017: Promoted to principal dancer at Houston Ballet
- 2021: Joined NYCB
- 2022: Promoted to principal dancers at NYCB
Since joining New York City Ballet, Chan has originated featured roles in Andrea Miller’s sky to hold and Justin Peck’s Partita, and performed featured roles in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, La Valse, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Cavalier); Robbins’ The Cage, The Four Seasons (Spring), The Goldberg Variations, Moves, and Piano Pieces; Peck’s Pulcinella Variations, Silas Farley’s Architects of Time; the Black Swan pas de deux from Peter Martins’ Swan Lake; and Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse.
His repertory with Houston Ballet included leading roles in ballets by Stanton Welch, Ben Stevenson, Balanchine, Robbins, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Edwaard Liang, Wayne McGregor, Trey McIntyre, and Peck, among others.
Chun Wai Chan Promoted to Principal Dancer
Featured Photo of Chun Wai Chan in Black Swan Pas de Deux. Photo by Erin Baiano.
