On the streets of New York, if you meet an Asian man speeding by on a scooter, you probably won't guess that he is Chen Zhenwei, a "post-90s" Chinese dancer.
In "Dance Storm 2" with superb dance skills and sculptural figure out of the circle, and as Tan Yuanyuan's guest dance partner after performing "Art Museum Fantasy Night", Chen Zhenwei flew to New York, moved into a normal apartment, shared the kitchen and living room with his new roommate, and appeared on time in the rehearsal hall of the New York City Ballet every morning on a scooter.
This life has been going on for almost 5 months. A few days ago, he finally took the stage at lincoln center for the arts, making his male debut at the New York City Ballet as the male number one — playing "Knight" in the "Father of American Ballet" George Balanchin's version of The Nutcracker. In the play, the knight and the candy fairy perform a grand duo dance at the finale of the celebration ball, and they circle, jump, and lift in a moving melody written by Tchaikovsky, staging a classic scene.
Founded by George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet is recognized as one of the seven largest ballet companies in the world, and Balanchine's version of The Nutcracker is the company's annual Christmas season repertoire and the best box office guarantee, performing from November 26 this year to January 2 next year, with more than 50 performances. As the only Chinese face on the stage, Chen Zhenwei received a tidal wave of applause and felt the weight of the eyes from all directions.
In order to stand on this stage, he gave up his status as the principal dancer of the Houston Ballet, gave up the familiar and comfortable life, and came to this new city to start as a soloist again. After working alone abroad for 11 years, Chen Zhenwei often felt lonely and tired. But every time he stood at the crossroads, he always chose the more difficult path.
New York City Ballet version of "The Nutcracker", Chen Zhenwei and his dance partner closed the curtain
There is only one most important thing
In 2003, in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, Chen Zhenwei's family held a solemn family meeting, and grandparents and parents sat together to discuss whether to send the 11-year-old to Guangzhou to study ballet.
He began to learn to dance with his sister in kindergarten, and was the only boy in the dance class who could only wear pink ballet shoes. In the family's cognition at that time, even if they danced well, they could only appear on the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala as a group dancer, and they were swept away by the camera. They prefer Chen Tony to grow up to be a doctor or lawyer.
But 11-year-old Chen Zhenwei did not compromise, writing a 7-page letter to his parents. The letter said he could not imagine that he would not have danced in his later life. Dancing will transform him from a little boy into a big boy, responsible for his own life. The following year, he entered the Guangzhou Art School as he wished, and his fate was closely linked to ballet.
Chen Zhenwei at the Guangzhou Art School
Six years later, Chen Zhenwei received invitations from 9 well-known dance schools and dance companies for his outstanding performance in the Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland, and he accepted the Houston Ballet Scholarship to study in the United States.
Chen Zhenwei, who was a teenager, did not have a smooth sailing since then. Not long after he became a dancer, during a tour in Canada, he threw his dance partner high into the air, and the moment he fell was like a lightning strike, the ligament of his right thumb was broken, and he recovered for a long time after surgery. Returning to the stage, he stopped again shortly after due to ankle strain, and after recovering from the injury, he could only start from scratch.
"Cruelly, I didn't feel much humanity after the injury. I still remember the regimental commander saying to me with some regret, 'Chen Zhenwei, you are very talented, but every time you use it, you are injured, and I can't do anything about it.' That's when I realized that there was no one to take care of you or protect you but yourself. ”
Chan Chun Wai plays the prince in Hong Kong Ballet's Swan Lake Photo: Keith Hiro
When performing in groups and sitting on the cold bench, Chen Zhenwei thought about going a different way. He applied for a full scholarship to the University of Arizona and prepared to study. But while waiting for the visa, the dancers around him were injured one by one, and the opportunity fell on him again. At this time, he had already learned how to use his body scientifically. He entered a period of rapid growth, rising from group dance to principal of the Houston Ballet in just three years.
"When I was most confused, I wanted too much in my heart. I want to go to college, to compete, to get more opportunities. That's when I read a book, Gary Keller's The One Thing. After reading it, I realized that when you really do one thing well, all other problems can be solved, and this book has changed the direction of my life. Before leaving the Houston Ballet, Chen Zhenwei gave the book to a good friend, hoping that he would pass it on after reading it.
Chen Zhenwei at the New York City Ballet
In May, the New York City Ballet sent Chen Zhenwei to Yongfeng Primary School in Jiufeng Township, Zhouzhi County, Xi'an, to teach the children there to dance ballet. In his view, ballet is not unattainable, and children who grew up in the countryside can also dance ballet, and they know how to bear hardships and stand hard work.
Giving lessons to the children and performing on the same stage with them, Chen Zhenwei seemed to see his 11-year-old self. "Maybe they won't become ballet dancers in the future, but I hope ballet can open their eyes and tell them that the world is much bigger than they thought, to find the one thing they love and work hard for it." 」
How to become that 5%
Participating in "Dance Storm 2", the most challenging task chen Zhenwei faces is the dance "Rebirth" with Tan Yuanyuan.
"The night before the game, before going to bed, I went through the dance steps of Rebirth in my head, just in my head, and my hands and feet were full of sweat." Chen Zhenwei recalled, "Because the difficulty is too high, even a small mistake may fall short." I am very grateful to Yuan Yuanjie, with her trust, to complete this almost impossible task. ”
Chen Zhenwei in "Dance Storm 2"
Chen Zhenwei likes this challenge. At the Houston Ballet, one of his favorite characters was Camille, the male protagonist of "The Merry Widow.". This is a mature man with blonde hair and a beard, and his image contrasts greatly, and there is a drunken dance in the play, which is also a test of acting. Chen Zhenwei, who did not accept defeat, wanted to win this role. The day he conquers the audience as Camille, he understands that the color of his skin and background can no longer stop him, and he can be anyone on stage.
Houston Ballet Swan Lake Photography: Amitava Sarkar
In 2018, the New York City Ballet went to Shanghai to perform many of Balanchin's masterpieces – Serenade, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and one-act Swan Lake. Jonathan Stafford, then acting artistic director of the company, said 95 percent of the New York City Ballet's dancers were from the American Ballet School, and only 5 percent of the places were open to the public.
The dancer Huang Doudou, who studied at the American Ballet School for nearly three months, recalls that in the first two weeks of his visit, the two legs were like lead, and the training there was very focused on density and speed, and it was difficult to be competent in George Balanchin's work without high concentration and training. "The vocabulary I have at my disposal cannot describe the subtlety of Balanchin's work."
In 2019, Justin Peck, the resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet, met Chen Zhenwei when he was choreographing works for the Houston Ballet, had a tacit cooperation, and later invited him to New York to "take a class". Chen Zhenwei did not expect at that time that he would become the 5%.
Chen Zhenwei at the Rehearsal Hall of the New York City Ballet
At the beginning, the group only arranged two classes for Chen Zhenwei, and he took the initiative to ask for five classes, wanting to feel the atmosphere of the dance troupe and show himself better. He returned to Houston five lessons later, and two or three weeks later, the company called to inform him that he had been offered a soloist position.
During the epidemic, the New York City Ballet was dormant for 18 months. After arriving at the New York City Ballet, Chen Zhenwei and the dancers had to do a nucleic acid test every week. In the past few months, dancers in the troupe have contracted new crown pneumonia, which has forced the rehearsal to be suspended, and when they recover, they must be prepared to change their dance partners or replace others.
After rehearsals, he enjoys stepping on his scooter to see a show on Broadway. Along the way, he was always observing the pedestrians on the road, how they walked, in what tone they called others, and how couples fought each other. He firmly believed that dance was inspired by the details of life.
Chan Chun Wai starred in The Nutcracker by Hong Kong Ballet
The Nutcracker became his first dance at the New York City Ballet as a male number one. He has performed many different versions of this work before. At the graduation report performance of the Guangzhou Art School, he skipped this work. Arriving at the Houston Ballet, he skipped two different versions of The Nutcracker, and on December 23, 2017, after starring in the version of the troupe's Stanton Welch, Welch announced his promotion to principal actor. In 2018, he also performed The Nutcracker by the Hong Kong Ballet as a guest principal artist.
New York City Ballet version of The Nutcracker, Chen Zhenwei and dance partners
"The same fairy tale, the same piece of music, the same character." The difference is my precipitation and understanding of this character, and now, I can use my experience to jump "The Nutcracker" to you. Chen Zhenwei said.
Houston Ballet "The Nutcracker" By Amitava Sarkar
He wasn't content to be that 5 percent. The New York City Ballet has not had an Asian principal in years, and he makes no secret of it, which is his next ambition.
"I don't think I can dance better than others, or more talented than others, but I was taught to respect teachers and be kind to people, and more importantly than how to dance, it is more important to be a person." I believe that my Chinese cultural background will help me go further and further. ”