ABOUT CHUNNER STUDIO
Chunner Studio is a New York based dance studio founded by Chun Wai Chan, Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet and former Principal Dancer with Houston Ballet. As the first Chinese Principal Dancer at NYCB, Chun Wai has made it his mission to empower the young Asian-American dance community as well as educate ballet dancers and enthusiasts. We offer live classes worldwide as well as virtually via Zoom, which can be found on the 'Classes' page here. For on-demand classes, please visit our YouTube page.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Mr. Chan was born in Guangdong, China, and trained at the Guangzhou Art School from 2004 to 2010. In 2010 he was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne, which earned him a full scholarship to study with Houston Ballet’s second company, Houston Ballet II. In 2012 Chan joined Houston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet and he was promoted to Principal Dancer at HB in 2017.
His repertory with Houston Ballet includes the Nutcracker Prince in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker; Mazurka boy in Ètudes; Lucentio and Hortensio in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew; the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty; Aminta in Sylvia; the lead male in Paquita; Emerald in David Bintley’s Aladdin; Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. Leading roles that Mr. Chan has accomplished include Tapestry, Clear and Sons de L'âme by Stanton Welch; ONE/End/ONE by Jorma Elo; In the middle, Somewhat elevated by William Forsythe; Serenade, The Four Temperament by George Balanchine; Petite Mort, Wings of Wax, Sinfonietta and Svadebka by Jirí Kylián; Dyad 1929 by Wayne McGregor; and The Concert, The Cage by Jerome Robbins. He created the leading roles in Zodiac by Stanton Welch; Murmuration by Edwaard Liang; and Reveal by Garret Smith.
In August 2021, Mr. Chan joined NYCB as a Soloist and was promoted to Principal Dancer in May 2022. Mr. Chan is the company's first Chinese and fourth Asian Principal Dancer in its 74 year long establishment.
His repertory with Houston Ballet includes the Nutcracker Prince in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker; Mazurka boy in Ètudes; Lucentio and Hortensio in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew; the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty; Aminta in Sylvia; the lead male in Paquita; Emerald in David Bintley’s Aladdin; Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. Leading roles that Mr. Chan has accomplished include Tapestry, Clear and Sons de L'âme by Stanton Welch; ONE/End/ONE by Jorma Elo; In the middle, Somewhat elevated by William Forsythe; Serenade, The Four Temperament by George Balanchine; Petite Mort, Wings of Wax, Sinfonietta and Svadebka by Jirí Kylián; Dyad 1929 by Wayne McGregor; and The Concert, The Cage by Jerome Robbins. He created the leading roles in Zodiac by Stanton Welch; Murmuration by Edwaard Liang; and Reveal by Garret Smith.
In August 2021, Mr. Chan joined NYCB as a Soloist and was promoted to Principal Dancer in May 2022. Mr. Chan is the company's first Chinese and fourth Asian Principal Dancer in its 74 year long establishment.
Headshot credit: Amitava Sarkar