A young Nathan Chen performs with Ballet West

Nathan Chen performs in Ballet West's production of "Sleeping Beauty" in 2011. Chen now is a member of the U.S. men's figure skating team and a medal hopeful in South Korea.
Courtesy Ballet West/Luke Isley

[@michaelkurtz1967]

Figure skaters are multi-talented. Dance, ballet, theater arts, skating. Probably a few others.

[@zhangqianzq]

And math...seriously...

[@misskitty6297]

A lot of weight training

[@mariannestoffers5067]

Young nutcrackers 😆👐🏿😉

[@grantyep7722]

He passed grade 9 in gymnastics.

[@grantyep7722]

He also plays the piano very well.

[@OceanbornAngel]

This shows why Nathan Chen has such great balance on the ice as well as artistry. Ballet has honed his muscles to be so strong.

[@girlscarf]

former competitive skater here, when you skate competitively you have off-ice ballet training, yoga, core conditioning classes, etc. training isn't just on the ice, it extends to outside the rink.

[@zoenash1447]

where exactly is the artistry?

[@hellokittyfrosting]

@@zoenash1447 okay fanyu

[@kosamekii]

@@hellokittyfrosting LMAOOOOO IM A FANYU AND I THINK I SHOULD BE OFFENDED BY THIS BUT THIS IS GOLDEN

[@kinglinus3708]

Hes so cute too lol he could be in ballet after his skate career

[@166Bertje]

And now he is Olympic champion, so proud of you 👏

[@yavannakementari4632]

This makes me so happy as a ballet dancer, because I love to watch figure skating and the fact that Nathan Chen, the best in the world right now, did ballet when he was young…I feel an actual connection.

[@brett5293]

Most skaters do!

[@divinearia1601]

@@brett5293...most? Maybe Russians? Don't think many from other countries do.

[@audrey2498]

@@divinearia1601 they may not focus mostly on ballet but they definitely need solid basic training

[@divinearia1601]

@@audrey2498...ballet is definitely a good background to have. I was just saying that not many skaters actually had that, mostly just Russian skaters. In Russia, figure skating is funded by the government so I think it's normal for them to get additional training in dance and ballet. Here in the US, since figure skating is not funded by the government, ballet training and dance are all just extra costly activities on the side that not many skaters can afford. Nathan was fortunate that his mom bent backwards and put in all her effort to make sure he was able to do as many variety of activities as possible...everything from gymnastics to hockey to piano to ballet. She was building the perfect, balanced olympic figure skating champion 😊

[@brett5293]

@@divinearia1601 I mean I grew up skating in the US and still coach in the US and it’s very common! They may not always be performing in ballet recitals but I’d be very surprised to see any skater at a high level that didn’t get some kind of ballet training.

[@KandeShack]

So good! Thankful he made the choice to go into skating where the entire world has been able to support him!! Classy, smart and talented young man! We in Salt Lake City couldn’t be prouder!!👏🏻👏🏻

[@kdub10009]

Serious early ballet training is always the key. It’s so good to see young skaters like Chen and Isabel Levito, whose ballet technique is very strong and clean; it’s quite rare nowadays.

[@marieked]

Isabeau* Levito , yes she’s got great artistry

[@diodelbrivido4405]

Also Kamila Valieva. She practiced rhythmic gymnastics and ballet as a child

[@liitbro]

You can tell he is trained in ballet. His hand position, his posture, and god his spread eagle, his most gorgeous element on ice

[@thunderroar7056]

@@diodelbrivido4405 kamila Just nothing about ballet

[@diodelbrivido4405]

@@thunderroar7056 well, figure skaters in Russia, as well as rhythmic gymnasts, practise ballet as part of their routine- I mean the centre part, jumps and the barre

[@tasameesri9187]

Oh Nathan, you are something so special. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@joyceroberts6979]

Nathan, you were & are such an adorable & talented athlete! 💞

[@user-rn6bo4kp7l]

Oh,my got😲 What a beautiful Performance Nathan Chen❗

[@kimNataly]

Oh he is simply awesome! 😍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@user-tn1re8xs3e]

ネイサンチェン可愛すぎ💖✨ 彼の感性は子供の頃から優れていたのですね 今、フィギュアの大会ではきらびやかな衣装は好まないと言われている所が彼の個性で素敵だと思います🌹

[@manju331]

Adorable! Also demonstrates a lifetime of hard work. All the best Nathan 💜

[@winkieblink7625]

Nathan is a true talent. 👏👏👏

[@dy7023]

OMG, so cute. Congrats on your gold medal Nathan. All ballet training worth it.

[@youmakemydawn7398]

the adult couples in the back are having so much fun watching them

[@ideagirl]

Adorable. Perfect ballet. All ice skaters should have a background of ballet dancing! You can tell the one who don't! Congrats to Chen in completing his life long goal...of receiving a Gold Olympic medal for being the Best in the World. He can rest for awhile. No more skating practices....for now!

[@grticecream]

Most adorable thing ever

[@helsinkirenay]

THE CUTEST

[@donnalichvarcik5588]

Nathan a ballet star quad king figure skating legend and a piano icon is there anything that Nathan can do this man can do it all cudos on everything that you do congratulations

[@mrslili320]

Thanks for representing USA, you are a true American spirit! 谢谢你代表美国，你代表真正的美国精神！

[@yunghuang6028]

Well-said!!

[@kagokadae]

Yeah, unlike some ungrateful money loving girl. It just showed that one need good parenting ... he has good moral and knows what's right and wrong and have good talent together with it.

[@mykrt8541]

@@kagokadae you talking about all foreign athletes playing for the US teams? Those Korean baseball players should go home before they get attacked as traitors.

[@lindaliewliew4484]

Yeah 👍 👍👍...🙏😍❤️

[@NYCgirl1312]

We, the Chinese Americans are very proud of him. Yayyy Nathan!😄

[@gracepei2115]

I enjoyed watching, Nathan was such a gentleman! Thanks for posting!

[@juliattube]

so cute!!

[@sisterree]

ソルトレイクの誇りですね。そしてファンの誇り。高邁なネイサン、全米五連覇おめでとう㊗️

[@dragoncantor]

It just shows that if you're talented, you're talented. I love watching him - then and now.

[@shenzhao1154]

That shows us how he climbs not only in technical points but also in artistic impression

[@user-cx4us5ge4h]

His artistry sucks

[@keirali4110]

@@user-cx4us5ge4h lmao someone's butt hurt

[@zoenash1447]

@@keirali4110 someone's right. he's capable of it, he used to try. now he doesn't even bother. it's sad.

[@keirali4110]

@@zoenash1447 nah I’m saying obviously it’s not the best but saying it sucks is a stretch. If you let go of your unconscious bias you will notice he performed incredibly well in his short program, better than he used to. Why do u think he got world record anyway?

[@tofucat9286]

@@user-cx4us5ge4h your artistry sucks, fanyu.

[@fab42355]

Multi gifted

[@maria1100]

OMGGGGGGGGGGGG SO ADORABLE

[@nocomment2468]

Beautiful dancing! ❤️

[@benp3485]

Ballet made him the best at Figure Skating ⛸

[@careyareaparanormalenergyr9355]

Definitely helped his balance, discipline and musicality! What a talented and humble young man ❤️ 🥇

[@MelissaJoans]

This boy would really be good at the olympics.

[@vacalepic6768]

Amazing! He is the one and only, and probably never-before, the first Asian male in the performance. Trail blazer!

[@barkingtree88]

this is a GEM!!

[@greengreen7590]

so cute and elegant

[@debrathompson4319]

Innate talent, lovely to see. His poise and style and lines are remarkable.

[@bananalemon9145]

He is so talented, can do many performing arts.

[@thepianist7379]

Nathan is an Olympiad gold medalist now. Wow!

[@lruss5050]

It really gives him an artistic edge to his skating!

[@naomichadwick4223]

OMG He was just a baby!🥰

[@AnthonyVassallo]

Amazing young man.

[@paul-zx5du]

Great balance!

[@petnapapeterson5169]

Thanks for posting this. Of course I am binge watching all Nathan’s performances .

[@user-nc4dd6ht4k]

+ 1 here

[@shiowmeychiao3325]

Better late than never, I know. I consider myself a lucky latecomer to discover that it is worthy to watch figure skating again, ever since I accidentally watched a video of Nathan’s performance less than 1 year ago. Nathan’s performances over the years are all in my precious collection now , they will give me endless joy for years to come.

[@maggieli7036]

So cute❤️❤️❤️

[@girlfriday9983]

What a beautiful ballet dancer - great presence and artistry. Definitely translated that into his skating. Well done!

[@nicolehourcade]

Exquisite.Of course he has a great balance in difficult choreographies on ice💯🌻🌷

[@steelman86]

How adorable!

[@rowbom]

Cool to see him doing ballet

[@happyday868]

Thís shows that Nathan has the parent who understands physics to pick out the right coach for Nathan. A coach that stresses the importance of ballet for his skating career. They build him on a solid foundation to grow whereas the other skaters lack this foundation and from time to time fail in the performance. For Nathan, he is solid on grounds and from there he can be solid on ice. What a road to travel...he is also on the science road to understand the universe.

[@juliekiwilee5089]

What a sweet!

[@tulip811]

Wow this looks so aesthetic 😍😍😍

[@cherrylee2767]

lovely

[@2Samsonite]

Great talent!

[@liropl]

Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovski), how beautiful 😍

[@linglingto1954]

Nathan is truly multi-talented. He is not only an Olympic champion, he is also a superb pianist and versatile dancer. I enjoy watching all his incredible performance.

[@xwz959]

sooooooooooo cute！

[@MsPENUEL]

SOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTEEEEEEEEEE!

[@Itstonytime77]

He’s parents stacked the deck they were like you’re gonna be great at something cause you will do EVERYTHING!

[@psoasiwassaying]

Love it! Thanks for sharing this ❤️❤️

[@cicilyly6027]

Nathan looks so cute here. He’s so talented!

[@pilarsoto3784]

Maravilloso muchachito hermoso, God bless You dear Nathan Chen from Chile!!!!!!

[@deepflutzes3433]

And then he became the quad king.

[@peiling826]

Wow! So cute

[@MonteCarlo111]

Parents, amazing.

[@bruely82]

How cute is this? 😍

[@benbailey159bb]

Ah baby Nathan

[@ILoveManCity.]

I love fetus Nathan

[@user-ws4ow9eq8d]

😂😂😂

[@divinearia1601]

I stan Nathan in every form.

[@youthkills]

Nathan I love you.ᐟ.ᐟ!

[@savvysearch]

Such a happy kid

[@prettytse7762]

Awwwwwww.... So adorable////

[@nyankoesper8269]

かわいい💕　踊りも素敵

[@miajung649]

we stan a legend

[@user-hi5qf2nu1d]

可愛い

[@vf9322]

So cute🥰

[@lehsu]

I want to see the whole performance!

[@mitzimcewan9124]

Bravo!

[@watiszadyr6492]

Adorable lil Nathan😘

[@Ray-qe8wx]

OMG😍😍😍

[@julia0aike]

My baby❤❤❤❤❤

[@florisliu947]

awwwwwww

[@xXSillyGooseXx]

TOO CUTE

[@mzmartin8115]

What a doll

[@chinaloe14]

That's pretty cute

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I have heard that ice skaters have to be skilled in ballet as well which makes sense. Nathan is so talented.

[@jfluter]

It's not really a "have to," but a strongly encouraged thing as it helps with building the strength, lines, and artistry that ice skating *should* demonstrate.

[@aljona55]

Wie süß!!!

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

Wow! 😳

[@applenyc5300]

Wowoowow

[@user-ui7oo6pq2i]

これがのちのオリンピック金メダリスト…

[@kdub10009]

Love

[@blah7983]

I’m sure most of you noticed that they got “once upon a dream” from the ballet but did you know the scary music when Aurora pricks her finger was taken from the very much happy “White Cat” variation?

[@miriamcecichavi7631]

Ah ahora entiendo porque hace sus saltos cuádruples tan bien si tiene entrenamiento de ballet

[@divinearia1601]

Yes...also, he has beautiful arm, wrist, and hand, placements....very nice pointed toes and turn outs as well. No awkward positions or lines. He looks very natural on the ice. His dance background definitely shows.

[@lynn9496]

Did we mention he's also a Yale student? If you look up talented, accomplished, cultured, intelligent in the dictionary, they mention Nathan Chen. #rocketman.

[@pebblebrookbooks4852]

Lil Nathan going to the Barre, and picking up girls.

[@amyx231]

I’m taking ice skating lessons now. I actually wish I had ballet class too, but it’s cost prohibitive for me at this age, not to mention hard to find a class for beginner adults - I’m not sure I’d like to take a class for kindergarteners, lol.

[@user-co7ep6dl3j]

Нейтан😀

[@KP-zd3hc]

Omg so cute 😍😍

[@seanyu5368]

Hmm, no dislikes

[@lilianamalika8383]

Still no dislikes

[@serenalizinnqui8474]

4 dislikes, 4 messed up souls :(

[@pahoellyyy]

This aged well...

[@hanaluong2672]

Gosh, this kid is so talented. He is also good at piano and guitar. And he is becoming a medical doctor one day. Both his parents have medical backgrounds.

[@kathyma2548]

wait wot i thought he was ONLY a figure skater

[@heartears]

he was in hockey, ballet and gymnastics when he was younger. he is also a great pianist. now, he also plays the guitar and skateboards.

[@jerikaa.7865]

Katherine Ma he did ballet for 8 years which he got into so he could improve his skating!

[@shiowmeychiao3325]

@@jerikaa.7865 His mom is very intelligent in preparing him to be a perfect Olympic gold figure skating champion.

[@jdcv17]

@@heartears Amazing!

[@JohnLau256]

He also studies in one of the Ivy League schools.

[@acutee2]

We know what he should do when he retires from ice skating, go back to ballet and then do choreo!

[@jadeyrah]

I misread as Nathan Lane and I was EXTREMELY CONFUSED