Why Chun Wai Chan Sees Onstage Mistakes as a Fun Challenge
New York City Ballet principal Chun Wai Chan loves to give back, whether it’s onstage or when giving tips and exercises on his popular YouTube channel. The former Houston Ballet principal, who grew up training in the Vaganova method in his native China, never expected to land at NYCB in 2021. Here, he talks about his Balanchine learning curve, his favorite role, and the beauty of making mistakes.
How did you initially get started in ballet, and what about it resonated with you?
I started in kindergarten, going to dance class with my sisters while my parents were busy with the family business. Eventually, in discovering ballet to be one of the hardest art forms, it channeled my competitive side. I’m kind of addicted because of how difficult ballet is.
As a finalist for Prix de Lausanne, you received nine offers from a variety of schools and companies. What motivated you to choose Houston Ballet?
I was amazed watching some other finalists who were students there—I wanted to learn what they had been learning. I also saw the movie Mao’s Last Dancer, about former Houston Ballet principal Li Cunxin. I related so much and wanted to be like him. I wanted to go where he had been and breathe the air that he had been breathing.
What inspired your move from Houston Ballet to New York City Ballet?
I was introduced to NYCB through working with its resident choreographer, Justin Peck. Houston Ballet had previously done his Year of the Rabbit, and Justin came back to do a new work, Reflections. I was involved in the creation process, and he was very open during it, asking us, “What do you want to do here?” I was either a little brave or really naïve and answered him. One of my good friends told me, “Why are you saying so much?!” I replied that if he asks me, I’m going to answer! Justin liked that, apparently. I encourage people to be free and just answer the choreographers when they ask questions.
What do you enjoy more: performing or being in the studio?
I love the show. I love how present I am onstage, even though it’s not perfect. All the mistakes become part of the choreography—with every mistake, I think: What am I going to do with it? How am I going to make it seem like it was not a mistake? It’s really fun.
You never trained at the School of American Ballet, and didn’t grow up in the Balanchine style—what was the biggest learning curve for you in moving to NYCB?
The choreography is so unique, and by not growing up in the school I feel like I’m missing a part of history. I have to learn each piece fresh. All my colleagues have a long relationship with these ballets. I am standing on the same stage with only a few weeks of rehearsal—it is common knowledge that we don’t rehearse much at NYCB. I have to put in so much work so that I can look just as experienced as my partners.
What role has taught you the most about yourself and about ballet?
Apollo—the music is beautiful, and there’s nothing like the character. This season I had my second opportunity to perform it. In revisiting the role, I realized that sometimes things just can’t be taught; they are only learned by dancing it, by listening to it, by time. That’s the greatest value of growing up in these works—the time with them.
What qualities do you admire in your colleagues?
They are so passionate and so brave onstage—nothing can hold them back. It doesn’t matter how fast the tempo is, how slippery or hard the floor is, they go for it. It blows my mind how much energy they have. They are not playing safe.
Do you have a pre-performance routine?
Doing my hair before the show sets me up in a good mindset. If my hair is not good that night, or I can’t get it right, I’m like, “Oh, my god.” Good hair, good show. Your hair is your soul.
Talk about your Chunner Studio YouTube channel—what inspired it?
I had been given so much, and I wanted to give back. It started with my brother-in-law in China, a policeman, asking me how to stretch and build flexibility for a healthier lifestyle. I recorded it so he wouldn’t forget, and it went viral. I wanted to share my knowledge to any person out there—how to do a double tour, how to partner, how to approach contemporary, all of it.
If you weren’t a dancer, what would you be?
My family used to make sweaters in China and I would have inherited the family business. I think that is one reason why my pas de deux work is strong, because when we were moving the boxes of sweaters late at night to get them ready to ship, I was constantly using my core muscles, arms, and back.
Do you cook? And do you have a specialty in the kitchen?
To survive, yes. I cook a really medium-rare steak and then mix it with Trader Joe’s bibimbap fried rice. It’s perfect.
What advice would you have for students wanting to be professional dancers?
Enjoy how each moment feels, because it’s going to be gone in a second. Enjoy when you are stressed or frustrated, not just the good times when you do five pirouettes—the process is priceless. The goal is ultimately to enjoy the performance. We work so hard to make everything right, but at the end of the day, if you don’t enjoy it or are miserable, what are you doing it for? We dance for joy.
