The 2011 Telstra Ballet Dancer Award winner revealed read more

Chengwu Guo has been crowned the 2011 winner of the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award in front of a capacity crowd of 1500 at Sydney Opera House following the opening night performance of Romeo & Juliet on Friday 2 December.

In an impressive coup, Chengwu also took home the Telstra People’s Choice, scooping the 2011 TBDA pool. He’s the first male dancer to win both the panel-voted main Award and the public-decided accolade. 

Previously, ballerinas Amber Scott and Stephanie Williams achieved this double-header feat in 2004 and 2009 respectively.

Between the two honours, 22-year-old Chengwu has taken home a cash prize total of $25,000 awarded by Principal Sponsor Telstra. 

The artistic director of The Australian Ballet David McAllister applauded Chengwu on his remarkable accomplishment: “Bravo to Chengwu! He is a powerhouse with astounding technical ability who regularly leaves our audiences gasping in astonishment at his death-defying leaps and speed-of-light pirouettes.”

Chengwu’s dual win follows the recent announcement that he has been promoted to soloist for the 2012 season, a swift rise for a dancer who joined The Australian Ballet in 2008.

Since leaving the Jiangxi province of southern China at age eleven to begin ballet training at Beijing Dance Academy, Chengwu has found success at every turn.

He won the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in 2006; his prize was a dance-training scholarship, which he chose to undertake at The Australian Ballet School.

In 2009 Chengwu won the Chinese version of So You Think You Can Dance in front of a TV audience of 80 million. That same year he appeared as the teenage Li Cunxin in the smash-hit film Mao’s Last Dancer.

With the Sydney season of Romeo & Juliet sold out, audiences Australia-wide have the opportunity to experience Chengwu onstage in 2012 during the The Australian Ballet’s landmark 50th anniversary year.

Congratulations to Chengwu from everyone at The Australian Ballet!