Chi Cao
Chi Cao (Chinese: 曹驰; pinyin: Cáo Chí; b. March 22, 1978[1]) is a British ballet dancer born in China.
Early life[]
Cao was born in Shanghai, the son of a dance teacher and a musician. When he was four years old, the family moved to Beijing.[2] He received training in classical dance at the Beijing Dance Academy, where his father was director.
Career[]
In 1993, he won a scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School in London.[2] Two years later, in 1995, he became a member of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 1998 he won the Gold Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition. Together with his long-time dance partner Nao Sakuma, he represented the company, among other things, at the NATO gala in 2000 in Birmingham and the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002.[3]
Film[]
Cao portrayed the Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin in the biographical film Mao's Last Dancer (2009). For this role he was nominated for Best Actor in the Inside Film Awards.[3] Li Cunxin himself had recommended Chi Cao for this role because he knew his father.[2]
Notes[]
- ^ "Chi Cao". The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ^ a b c Paula Citron (May 15, 2010). "A Rags-To-Riches Ballet Story". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
- ^ a b "Chi Cao". Birmingham Royal Ballet. Retrieved 2016-01-28.
External links[]
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- Ballet biographical stubs
- Birmingham Royal Ballet principal dancers
- English male ballet dancers
- Chinese male ballet dancers
- Chinese emigrants to England
- 1978 births
- Living people
- People from Shanghai
- Beijing Dance Academy alumni