Birmingham Royal Ballet

The Company Index

David Bintley CBE, Director
Christopher Barron, Chief Executive
Koen Kessels, Music Director

Ballet Staff
Dancers

Conductors
Orchestra Management and Music Staff
Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Administration

The Jerwood Centre for the Prevention and Treatment of Dance Injuries

Board of Directors
Royal Ballet Governors

Chi Cao

Introduced by David Bintley
Born in China, Chi Cao trained at the Beijing Dance Academy and the Royal Ballet School. He joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1995 and was promoted to Principal in 2002. Chi is a virtuoso classical dancer and often leads the Company in the classic repertory. His superb technique won him the gold medal in 1998 at Varna, the 'Grandaddy' of all ballet competitions. With his frequent partner, Nao Sakuma, Chi has also represented the Company at a number of prestigious occasions, dancing at the NATO gala in Birmingham (2000) and Her Majesty The Queen's golden jubilee (2002). Later this year Chi and Nao will dance as guests of the National Ballet of Japan in the roles created for them in Sylvia. In 2008 Chi took a leave of absence to star as Li Cunxin in Bruce Beresford's film Mao's Last Dancer, for which he received a nomination for Best Actor from the Australian Inside Film awards.

REPERTORY INCLUDES
Frederick Ashton: La Fille mal gardée (Colas), The Two Pigeons (Young Man), The Dream (Puck), Enigma Variations (Tryote Griffiths), Les Patineurs (Blue Boy), Symphonic Variations and Voices of Spring
George Balanchine: Agon (pas de trois), The Four Temperaments (Melancholic Variation), Mozartiana (Solo boy) and Tarantella
David Bintley: Arthur (Lancelot), Beauty and the Beast (Beast, Raven), Edward II (Gaveston, Warwick, Lancaster), Hobson's Choice (Fred Beenstock, Salvation Army), Allegri diversi (lead role), The Orpheus Suite (Orpheus), The Seasons ('Spring'), The Shakespeare Suite (Hamlet), The Sons of Horus (Qebhsnuf), 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café (Southern Cape Zebra), Choros, Dance House and David Bintley and Galina Samsova's production of Giselle (Albrecht, Peasant pas de deux)
Oliver Hindle: The Four Seasons ('Spring', 'Summer') and Bright Young Things
Kenneth MacMillan: Romeo and Juliet (Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio, Mandolin Dance lead) and Elite Syncopations ('Friday Night')
Twyla Tharp: In the Upper Room
Peter Wright's productions of Coppélia (Franz), The Nutcracker (Prince), The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Florimund, Bluebird) and Peter Wright and Galina Samsova's production of Swan Lake (Siegfried, pas de trois)
Pas de deux from Don Quixote and Le Corsaire

CREATED ROLES
David Bintley: Concert Fantasy (lead role) and The Seasons ('Spring')
Oliver Hindle: Bright Young Things

AWARDS
Gold medal, Varna International Ballet Competition, 1998.

Last updated September 2012.

Chi Cao; photo: Richard Battye

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