Name Kase Craig | ||
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Kase James Augustine Craig (born 22 January 1990) is a New Zealand classical ballet dancer currently under contract to Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, France. At age 18, Kase was awarded a scholarship to New York for advanced classes at the school of American Ballet Theatre where he was scouted by Charles Jude a protégé of Rudolf Nureyev who offered Kase a full contract to dance professionally with his Company in France.
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Early years
Kase began learning Tap and Ballet in Christchurch at age five and after ten years of competing throughout New Zealand and Australia on the Tap competition circuit, Kase was offered a one-year scholarship to the Australian Ballet School followed by a full three-year scholarship to the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington.
Training
Kase graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2008 with a National Diploma in Dance Performance, National Certificate in Dance Performance, Certificate III in Dance (AQF Aust. - Australian Ballet School) and the Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal Award.
Artistic career
Under contract with Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux Kase performs at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux in France through the guidance of Artistic Director Charles Jude, former étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet. The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is where Marius Petipa was nominated premier danseur in 1841 and Jean Dauberval famously choreographed the ballet La Fille Mal Gardée in 1789. Kase has performed with the company throughout France, Europe and Asia including at Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in the People’s Republic of China.
Public life
In 2009, Television New Zealand produced a documentary on Kase titled Born To Dance, which was nominated for a 2010 Qantas Television Award.
During an interview with The Christchurch Press, Arts Editor Chris Moore described Kase as “defying the unwritten convention that boys [in New Zealand] do not dance ballet” and named him as “a man with a plan”
He often appears on the Good Morning programme for TV One (TVNZ) and Radio New Zealand to promote the Arts through national mainstream media and has been featured on French and Japanese Television.