KaistheGuy
Kai Braithwaite
Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Kai began his training at the Harlem School of the Arts. He went on to have a career in theater arts, performing in The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, and The Broadway Kids. His training has included summer intensives at Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and the American Ballet Theater Collegiate Program, all on full scholarship. He has performed works created especially for him by Sergei Vanaev, Jessica Lang and Lauri Stalling. In May 2008, he graduated from SUNY Purchase College with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts and has been dancing with the Bremerhaven Ballet since August of 2009.
Raised in Harlem NY by his late grandmother, Ethnie Ursula Braithwaite, Kai grew up in a household of what you would call a strong black woman. He has managed to overcome obstacles of warriors and perspire to excellence because of this.
At the age of eight he began his training in the arts at the Harlem School of the Arts where he studied acting, singing and dance as well as percussion, guitar and piano. Upon entering Junior High School at the age of twelve Kai booked his first gig as Young Simba in The Lion King at the New Amsterdam Theater NYC. After 18 months he was let go and decided to focus his energy on dance with much inspiration from his high school dance teacher, Arthur Saab. However the driving force behind Kai’s need to dance was to prove to the world that African American People were just as capable of doing classical works as anyone else.
With his newly found desire he went on to receive a full scholarship to attend The Alvin Ailey School at the age of sixteen and continued his training at summer intensive ballet programs across the North East region of the US. In the fall of 2004 Kai entered SUNY Purchase College and with much difficulty and perseverance graduated in the class of 2008. During his senior year he was offered a position with the Dance Theater of Harlem and was introduced to an institution where the dancers were shades of all colors. Here Kai saw black women dancing in pointe shoes for the first time and the excellence and beauty of this experience pushed him to seek more. The states were not enough and as a short black male job opportunity slim.
Kai was able to find work In Connecticut with the Mystic Ballet, where he meets Sergei Vanaev. Works of Vanaev was performed three times a year, being the fact that Vanaev was the resident choreographer, and opportunity for growth was endless. During his stay at the Mystic Ballet Kai was able to hone his skills not only as a dancer but also as a dance teacher. Here he was required to follow a strict syllabus, and was responsible for the training and welfare of 20 eight to eleven year old children. After only one season with Mystic Ballet Kai was offered a full time contract by Vanaev with the Stattheater Bremerhaven.
Kai is absolutely ecstatic about his move to Europe and plans to travel see as much as he can and give back to his community. He is now currently singing and working on a small enterprise for himself.
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KaistheGuy
Kai Braithwaite
Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Kai began his training at the Harlem School of the Arts. He went on to have a career in theater arts, performing in The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, and The Broadway Kids. His training has included summer intensives at Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and the American Ballet Theater Collegiate Program, all on full scholarship. He has performed works created especially for him by Sergei Vanaev, Jessica Lang and Lauri Stalling. In May 2008, he graduated from SUNY Purchase College with a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts and has been dancing with the Bremerhaven Ballet since August of 2009.
Raised in Harlem NY by his late grandmother, Ethnie Ursula Braithwaite, Kai grew up in a household of what you would call a strong black woman. He has managed to overcome obstacles of warriors and perspire to excellence because of this.
At the age of eight he began his training in the arts at the Harlem School of the Arts where he studied acting, singing and dance as well as percussion, guitar [...]
