Chi Cao

Chi Cao (; b. March 22, 1978 ) is a British ballet dancer born in China.

Early life Cao was born in Shanghai, the son of a dance teacher and a musician. When he was four years old, the family moved to Beijing. He received training in classical dance at the Beijing Dance Academy, where his father was director.

Career In 1993, he won a scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School in London. In June 2018, he ended his long career with Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Film Cao portrayed the Chinese ballet dancer Li Cunxin in the biographical film Mao's Last Dancer (2009). For this role he was nominated for Best Actor in the Inside Film Awards. Li Cunxin himself had recommended Chi Cao for this role because he knew his father.