Runqiao Du, of Shanghai, China, received his ballet training at Shanghai Dance Academy where he was awarded scholarships and graduated with honors as well as receiving a medal in the junior division of China's National Ballet Competition. In his professional career, he has toured with American Ballet Theatre. Currently, he is a dancer with The Washington Ballet where he has performed various classical and neoclassical ballets including the leading roles of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Albrecht in Giselle and the Cavlier in The Nutcracker. In 2000, Mr. Du was honored to be invited by the legendary ballerina Suzanne Farrell to join her new company, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, a creation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Under the artistic direction of Ms. Farrell, Mr. Du had the opportunity to perform leading roles in some of the world's most beloved ballets including George Balanchine's Scotch Symphony, Monumentum Pro Gesualdo , Movements for Piano and Orchestra, Tzigane, Who Cares?, Divertimento No. 15, Serenade, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Meditation, Duo Concertante, La Source, La Valse, the full-length Don Quixote, Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun and Maurice Bejart's Romeo and Juliet.