Tracy Li (born 1972, in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
) is a South African
ballet dancer of Chinese origin. She trained at The Christine Liao School of Ballet before receiving a scholarship from The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club to study at the
Australian Ballet School
The Australian Ballet School is the premier ballet training facility in Australia, located in Melbourne.
History
The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scot ...
. At age 16, she joined the
Hong Kong Ballet, before she left in 1992 for
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. She joined Napac Dance Company; however, she left the following year to join the
Cape Town City Ballet
The Cape Town City Ballet Company, formerly known as the CAPAB Ballet Company, is a dance company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
History
The Cape Town City Ballet originated from the UCT Ballet Company, which was established by Dulcie Howe ...
, where she is currently a senior principal. She is known for her partnership with
Daniel Rajna
Daniel Rajna born 1968, is a South African ballet dancer. After gaining a BSc in applied mathematics at UCT, he trained at the UCT Ballet school, Cape Town. He joined the former CAPAB Ballet in 1990, before leaving in 1997 to join PACT Ballet in ...
and together they have regularly toured as guest artists in
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
and Hong Kong. They were also both invited to the 2004
Miami Dance Festival. She retired in August 2007 after performances of
Camille.
Awards
* The Best Professional Ballet Dancer award in The Sanlam International Ballet Competition, 1993
* Balletomane Award for best female dancer, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003
* Nederberg Award, 1997
* Daphne Levy Award for her partnership with Daniel Rajna, 2001
She has also danced in the National Ballet Competition in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1986.
Notable roles
* Giselle in
Giselle
''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
* Coppélia in
Coppélia
''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-Éti ...
* Carmen in
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
* Princess Aurora in
Sleeping Beauty
* Juliet in
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
* Sugar Plum Fairy in
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
* Camille in
Camille
* Odette/Odile in
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
* Cinderella in
Cinderella
External links
Tracy Li at the Dance Directory
Cape Town City Ballet Company
Pas de Deux Couple Tracy Li & Daniel Rajna
Dancers exit stage for new future
1972 births
Living people
South African ballerinas
Australian Ballet School alumni
{{HongKong-bio-stub