Published : 2023-01-25
On the ballet stage dominated by Americans, a play full of Chinese characteristics, the Butterfly Lovers quietly premiered in Manhattan, New York. The beautiful love story captivated the audience.
The dance was choreographed and executed by Chen Zhenwei, a post-90s dancer from Huizhou. He is the first Chinese principal dancer in the 74-year history of the New York City Ballet. How can a Chinese face make it to the top of the western ballet pyramid?
Dance class's only boy, Chen Zhenwei
Chen Zhenwei, born and raised in Guangdong, started dancing with his sister from kindergarten and was the only boy in his dance class. His parents sent him to learn to dance to spend his spare time, but unexpectedly, he got hooked on dancing.
At the age of 11, he got the opportunity to go to Guangzhou Art School to learn to dance. His family was naturally opposed, but Chen Zhenwei showed an uncharacteristic determination for his age.
"I seem to be born to dance..." He wrote a 7-page letter convincing his parents to send him to Guangzhou to learn dance.
Chen Zhenwei has long arms and legs, is weak and somewhat uncoordinated, making him not a natural talent, but he is willing to work hard: "In the six years at Guangzhou Art School, I can say I had no life. I think that if I don't practice for a day, I will regress. Even if I go out for a trip, I have to spend time practicing in my room."
Six years later, Chen Zhenwei received invitations from 9 renowned dance troupes due to his excellent performance in the international ballet competition in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Eventually, he accepted a scholarship from the Houston Ballet in America and travelled to study there alone.
Chen Zhenwei took 5 years to reach the top of pyramid
In 2012, he officially joined the Houston Ballet, becoming one of the only three Chinese dancers in the troupe.
But not long after joining the troupe, Chen Zhenwei got injured, lost all major roles, and was forced to become a part of the ensemble.
"During those times of confusion, I wanted too much in my heart." He considered going to college, participating in competitions, and looking for opportunities everywhere.
At this time, a book called The One Thing changed him: "After reading it, I realized that when you really do one thing right, every other problem can be solved."
In 2016, he played the male lead, the Nutcracker Prince, in the new version of “The Nutcracker” and was promoted to the lead solo performer. The following year, he was promoted to principal.
Generally speaking, ballet dancers start their careers as apprentices and it takes over a decade to move up based on seniority, but Chen Zhenwei took less than 5 years.
Chen Joins the world's top dance troupe
However, becoming a principal does not mean reaching the end.
Once, his parents came to Houston to watch his performance of "The Nutcracker" and found he seemed to be in a stage of retirement, so they encouraged him to find ways to continue progressing.
In August 2021, Chen Zhenwei joined the New York City Ballet. This ballet company was created by George Balanchine, the "Father of American Ballet", and it is one of the world's top ballet companies.
95% of the dancers come from the American Ballet School, and only 5% come from outside the school, Chen Zhenwei is one of the 5%.
From the relatively comfortable Houston to the changing New York, Chen Zhenwei not only dropped down a level in title and is no longer a principal, but he also has to face the high cost of living and busier lifestyle in New York.
Moreover, the operational styles and performance styles of the two dance groups are vastly different, Chen Zhenwei started again from scratch.
In May 2022, Chen Zhenwei once again got promoted from solo performer to principal dancer, thus becoming the first Chinese person to hold this title.
What's the key to standing firm in the world's top ballet company? Chen Zhenwei said: "One of the most critical qualities is a strong, swift ability to adapt...A Chinese face stands on the Western stage, especially in a ballet company dominated by Americans, meaning one has to work even harder, be even better."
A choreographer evaluated Chen Zhenwei, saying that it's as if he went to other people's homes, danced other people's culture, and managed to do it even better.
Yet, what Chen Zhenwei does extend further than this; he's even influencing other people's cultures: He attempts to blend Chinese and Western cultures in his creations.
The Butterfly Lovers mentioned at the beginning of this text is an example. He said, "I hope American audiences can also enjoy the wonderful Chinese culture."
