Cheng to Serve as Adjudicator for IBGP in Taiwan

Director of Ballet Carrie Cheng will serve as an adjudicator for the Taiwan International Ballet Grand Prix (IBGP) this summer in July. In addition to the adjudicator role, Cheng will teach masterclasses and lectures. Her husband, Li Chou Cheng (former Professor of Professional Practice in Ballet and Modern Dance at TCU  and current FWCD Ballet Conservatory Instructor), will join her. For several years, the Chengs have been associated with the Taipei International Ballet and its competitions as Art Consultants.

The IBGP aspires to be a platform for dancers, ages 7-21, of all nationalities and social backgrounds to explore their potential in dance and to inspire their professional and personal growth. The first ballet competition in Asia, with the support of the National Arts Council and the Singapore Ballet, IBGP began in 2009 and has grown to be one of the largest competitions in Asia. This year’s event will take place in the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei from July 25 to July 27. The competition features ballet and contemporary categories.

Dancers will compete in live semifinal competitions in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand or submit an online video to be accepted into the final competition in Taipei. 

Carrie is looking forward to returning to Taipei and the National Theater Concert Hall, where she performed as a dancer in 1987 as a member of the Eugene Ballet. The Chengs have also spent time teaching at the university and a performing arts high school in Taiwan. “For the lecture, I know I will share my ballet story along with Li Chou,” Carrie said. “Our stories follow different paths and how we moved from dancers to teachers. I attended college, spent time in different ballet companies dancing professionally, and began teaching as an additional source of income.” 

Born in Florida, Carrie trained at the Miami Conservatory, later moving to the Jacksonville Ballet Theater. She earned a BFA in ballet from the University of Utah with a full, four-year scholarship. Following graduation, Carrie danced professionally with many companies, including the Utah Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Boston, North Atlantic Ballet and Ballet Concerto. She made guest artist appearances throughout the United States, Mexico and Taiwan. 

Committed to teaching the art she loves so passionately, Carrie has been a guest teacher for summer ballet programs for schools such as Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Texas Ballet Theater, Atlanta Ballet, and Ballet Theatre of Boston. Internationally, she taught in Taiwan and China and was an adjunct ballet faculty member at TCU and Tarrant County College. She was a ballet instructor for Texas Ballet Theater School in Fort Worth from 2008-16. An FWCD community member since 1998, Carrie is currently the Director of Ballet at Fort Worth Country Day and Director of the FWCD Ballet Conservatory. 

Carrie received a National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers Award (2005-06) and Teacher of the Year for Texas Ballet Theater School (2012-13, 2015-16). In October 2017, she was named FWCD’s Arts Chair for Distinguished Teaching in the Arts at Fort Worth Country Day. Carrie is an “ABT” Certified Teacher who has completed the ABT* Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5 of the ABT* National Training Curriculum. 

“The language of dance is international, and I am excited to be part of such a prestigious competition and look forward to the International Ballet Grand Prix and the experiences it provides,” Carrie said.