Yat-Sen Chang

Yat-Sen Chang Oliva (born 1971 in Matanzas, Cuba) is a Cuban former principal dancer with English National Ballet.

Yat-Sen Chang is a Chinese Cuban born in Matanzas, Cuba. Yat-Sen Chang studied dance at the Cuban National Ballet School, beginning his studies at the age of nine. In 1989 he graduated as a dancer and teacher and joined the Cuban National Ballet under Alicia Alonso.

In 1992 he was invited to the International Dance Festival of La Baule and joined Jeune Ballet de France, in the same year and performed in many different countries around the world. He joined the English National Ballet in 1993 as principal dancer.

He has a daughter with fellow ENB former principal dancer and ex-girlfriend Simone Clarke.

Yat-Sen studied at the Cuban National Ballet School, beginning his studies at the age of nine. The youngest of three brothers (all professionally trained ballet dancers), he graduated as a dancer and teacher in 1989 and immediately joined the famous Cuban National Ballet Company.

In 1992, he joined Jeune Ballet de France where his roles included Flower Festival in Genzano, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Diana & Acteon, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Paquita, Satanella, Coppélia, Flames of Paris, A. Mendez's Muñecos and I. Zatti's Shogun.

After only one year, his extraordinary talent was spotted and in September 1993 he was invited to join the English National Ballet as Principal Dancer. At ENB he danced many major roles including The Sleeping Beauty Prince, Blue Bird and Carabosse, The Nutcracker Prince, Franz in Coppélia and Romeo & Mercutio in Nureyev's production of Romeo and Juliet, to name but a few. New roles were choreographed for him in various well-loved ballets including The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland by D. Deane The Jumping Bean in Melody on the Move by Michael Corder, The Twins in The Canterville Ghost by William Tuckett, Clowns in Strictly Gershwin by Derek Deane, The Orphan in The Snow Queen by Michael Corder, The Spanish Dance in The Nutcracker by Wayne Eagling and a solo in XNTricities by Mauro Bigonzetti.

Yat-Sen performed both nationally and internationally as a guest artist in many Galas, including; A Homage to Nureyev at The Coliseum Theatre, The 50th Birthday Wings in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The 50th Anniversary of The English National Ballet, Dame Beryl Grey's Evening at Sadler's Wells Theatre and The 10th Anniversary of Danzaria. Yat-Sen was also a guest artist with the Northern Ballet Theatre NBT in the production The Three Musketeers. He also appeared on television as the lead dancer in Granada Television's 'Men in Tights' and on Blue Peter performing The Twins from William Tuckett's Canterville Ghost.

The many prestigious awards he received included Best Partner at the Varna International Festival (1990) and The "Leonida Massine Award" in Positano for Best Classical Dancer (1999). Yat-Sen is also the Guinness World Record holder of the faster turns within 30 sec.

Yat-Sen has choreographed many traditional and neo-classical works including, Para Dos, Maybe It Was Love, Dolphins, ENB Reloaded, Parallel Life and In The Beginning for project Synergy 2006, La Batalla (solo), A Classical Dance Night Out, Doollally Ballet for Dance Project 4, From Baby to Ballerina for the Charity Event with The West London School of Dance at The Opera House, Rothbart pieces for the Swanning Around Project 2010, Diamonds are Forever for the ENB Charity Event at the Dorchester, Butterfly (Solo), Sonata for Two, Divertimento V, Adagio For Two, Sunrise, Angels, Sedna (Solo), Trail and Entrée Du Ballet.

Yat-Sen Chang, became the Artistic Director of the Espinosa Dance Project in February 2012, where he gives intensive daily classes and rehearses the young company of dancers in solos and pas de deux from some of the most technically difficult repertoire in preparation for their gruelling monthly performance schedule at the Espinosa Theatre. In addition to the EDP company class, Yat-Sen also gives private tuition to vocationally trained students and professionals. More recently, Yat-Sen has also begun to work on new projects for West End musical.

and in August 2013 he started his own brand new company Yat-Sen Chang Dance Company.

Chang has been accused of sexually assaulting three women at a London dance school. He has been charged with 14 counts of sexual assault on a girl between 2014 and 2016. She was as young as 16 when these incidents occurred. He has denied these charges in the Magistrates Court and is awaiting trial.