A tough nut to crack

Chun Wai Chan still recalls the first time he performed in The Nutcracker as a young student at Guangzhou Arts School in Guangdong province.

Then 13 years old, he played the role of a young boy attending a Christmas party in the classic ballet by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He remembers being immersed in a dreamy land full of joy.

During the past decade, Chan, now 29, has performed in numerous different versions of The Nutcracker, and in both complete performances and excerpts.

The ballet tells the story of a young girl and her Nutcracker Prince, who battle the Mouse King and embark on a journey through the Land of Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

On Dec 12, as a soloist with New York City Ballet, Chan played the role of The Cavalier in a performance at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts which was choreographed by George Balanchine.

Based on the story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, the ballet piece has enchanted audiences since it premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Balanchine, regarded as one of the foremost contemporary choreographers, staged The Nutcracker for New York City Ballet in 1954, helping to make it a holiday classic.

Balanchine's The Nutcracker is a very demanding theatrical, staged ballet. According to New York City Ballet, "All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands and more than 125 children, in two alternating casts, from the School of American Ballet join forces to make each performance as magical as possible."

The most famous example is "the one-ton Christmas tree" that grows from a height of 3 meters to 13 meters, it adds, "evoking audible gasps of disbelief from the audience at each performance".

"The Nutcracker has been with me throughout my career," Chan told China Daily in a phone interview 10 days after his performance. "During the holiday season, particularly, it returns as a tradition to offer joy and wonder for both children and adults.

"From a young boy to now a mature dancer, I have evolved and I want to deliver its magic and joy to the audience, rather than just experiencing the joy I felt as a child."

Chan, born in Huizhou, Guangdong province, was introduced to the art of dance by his elder sister. He was admitted to Guangzhou Arts School in 2004 at the age of 12.

Though his parents and grandparents were not very supportive of his decision to become a dancer, Chan has shown determination in pursuing his goal since he was a teenager.

"I wrote a letter to my dad on Father's Day when I was 11 years old, telling him that dance is what I love and I wanted to become a dancer," Chan says. "He allowed me to try because he knew dancing is very hard and requires a lot of effort. He thought that I would quit in three months. However, I didn't quit and worked very hard to achieve my goal."

When he played the role of the Nutcracker Prince with Hong Kong Ballet as a guest principal dancer in Hong Kong in 2018, Chan's parents and grandmother watched his performance and told him they felt proud of him, Chan adds.

In 2010, Chan entered the Prix de Lausanne, an annual international competition for young dancers held in Switzerland. He became a finalist and earned a full scholarship.

He moved to the United States to study with Houston Ballet's second company, Houston Ballet II, when he was 18.

In 2012, he joined the main company of Houston Ballet. In 2014, Chan performed in the group dance in The Nutcracker by the renowned choreographer Ben Stevenson.

In 2016, thanks to his solid technique and dedication, Chan became the first Chinese dancer with Houston Ballet to play the role of the Nutcracker Prince, in a version choreographed by Stanton Welch, artistic director of Houston Ballet.