The National Ballet of China announced the name of its new principal dancer during the gala marking the troupe's 65th anniversary in Beijing on Dec 30.

Li Wentao graduated from the Beijing Dance Academy in 2013, and later performed with the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich as a solo dancer.

In 2017, he joined the National Ballet of China, and has played the lead roles in productions such as Dream of the Red Mansion, Swan Lake and Giselle.