West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

Midsummer Night’s Dream Comes True for New York City Ballet Dancer

May 23, 2022 | 3:06 PM
in ART, NEWS
4
Photographs of Chun Wai Chan in past performances courtesy of New York City Ballet. Photo credit: Erin Baiano.

By Steve Holt

Thrilling leaps are all in a day’s work for Chun Wai Chan, one of New York City Ballet’s rising stars. Now, he’s making the grand jeté to Principal Dancer with the company.

Chan becomes NYCB’s first Chinese Principal, and only the fourth Asian dancer to win the prestigious position. The promotion comes just in time for their spring season’s grand finale. Chan will be dancing the role of Titania’s Cavalier, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, choreographed by the company’s legendary founder, George Balanchine, to music by Felix Mendelssohn.

Born in Guangdong China, Chan studied in Guangzhou, before winning a scholarship with the Houston Ballet. He became a Principal there in 2017, and joined the NYCB as a soloist just last August. Since then, he’s been featured in works including Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments and The Nutcracker; Jerome Robbins’ Goldberg Variations and The Four Seasons; Justin Peck’s Pulcinella Variations; and the Black Swan pas de deux from Peter Martins’ Swan Lake.

You can catch this “generous dancer who stands out in a crowd” (The New York Times), in A Midsummer Night’s Dream now through Sunday, May 29, at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. Tickets are available at www.nycballet.com or by calling 212-496-0600.

Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sb
Sb
3 years ago

What a glorious physical presence he has and such an uplifting story after all the depressing Asian attacks in NYC

0
Reply
Jude
Jude
3 years ago

Love this ballet and looking forward to seeing another beautiful dancer shine in it!

0
Reply
Carol
Carol
3 years ago

Ah, youth. Lol. How old is he?
I’m old enough to have lost my ability to tell….. I’m still mourning Alessandra Ferri and skeptical of this Peck kid. 😂

0
Reply
m.pipik54
m.pipik54
3 years ago

American Ballet Theatre promoted Joo Won Ahn from Korea to principal two years ago. I don’t remember any articles in the NY Times or here about that. ABT has many other Asian dancers including principal Hee Seo ( woman).

Many more to come as Korea and Japan are producing some of the best classical dancers in the world. China isn’t doing too poorly either.

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

‘Rebel With a Clause’ Is a Love Letter—to Grammar and the Upper West Side
ART

‘Rebel With a Clause’ Is a Love Letter—to Grammar and the Upper West Side

June 16, 2025 | 1:53 PM
Here’s the UWS Dish: Raenu Thai’s Beef Salad
COLUMNS

Here’s the UWS Dish: Raenu Thai’s Beef Salad

June 16, 2025 | 8:15 AM
Previous Post

UWS COVID Positivity Rates Still High

Next Post

Caught on Video: Police Seek Suspect Who Snatched 90-Year-Old Woman’s Purse From Walker

this week's events image
Next Post
Caught on Video: Police Seek Suspect Who Snatched 90-Year-Old Woman’s Purse From Walker

Caught on Video: Police Seek Suspect Who Snatched 90-Year-Old Woman's Purse From Walker

Photo of the Day: Domestic Dispute

Photo of the Day: Domestic Dispute

Mary Zingone Vinci — ‘So Loved by So Many’ — Dies at 58

Mary Zingone Vinci -- 'So Loved by So Many' -- Dies at 58

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.