Ao Wang, originally from Beijing, began her dance training in 2008 at the Liaoning Ballet Academy of China. In 2014, she received a full scholarship to study under Kee Juan Han at The Washington School of Ballet, where she was also honored with the Mary Day Award. She joined The Washington Ballet Studio Company in 2015, danced with Miami City Ballet from 2016–2020, and spent three seasons with Boston Ballet before joining The Joffrey Ballet in 2023. Wang has performed extensively across classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire. Her principal roles include Coppélia, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, La Bayadère, Le Corsaire, Grand Pas Classique, and The Sleeping Beauty. She has also danced works by renowned choreographers such as Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, Alexander Ekman, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins. Before beginning her professional career, she earned top honors in major international competitions, including Gold at the Osaka International Ballet Competition.
Ao and Xavier Núñez will take the stage again this year in Mary Day’s The Nutcracker! Don’t miss this chance to see these stars on-stage this winter at the Klein Theatre!