American Ballet Theatre Reveals Dancer Promotions

Léa Fleytoux, Patrick Frenette, and Fangqi Li have been promoted to the rank of Soloist with American Ballet Theatre. The promotions are effective September 1, 2024.

Léa Fleytoux began studying ballet at the age of four with Nicole Chouret in her classes at the Ranelagh Theater in Paris.  Fleytoux continued her training at the Conservatoire Municipal Camille Saint-Saens (2007-2010), École National Danse Marseille (2010-2013) and Conservetoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (2013-2016).  She participated in summer programs at Biarritz Academy, Paris Opera Ballet School, and Alvin Ailey. Fleytoux began training at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2016 before joining ABT Studio Company in January 2017.  She became an apprentice with the main Company in December 2018 and joined the corps de ballet in June 2019. Her repertoire includes the Grand Pas de Deux and Amour in Don Quixote, the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Chencha in Like Water for Chocolate, one of the Nutcracker’s Sisters and the Chinese Dance in Alexei Ratmanky’s The Nutcracker, the pas de trois, a little swan, and the Hungarian Princess in Swan Lake, Young Clarissa in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and a featured role in Songs of Bukovina. She created a featured role in Collage & Creed.

Patrick Frenette was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He began his early training at the Goh Ballet Academy under the instruction of Fiona Smith. In 2008, his family relocated to California to further his professional ballet training with former ABT dancer Chris Martin and former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Dmitri Kulev. He was a two-time recipient of the Senior Grand Prix award at the Youth America Grand Prix’s regional competitions and, in 2011, was also awarded the Mary Day Award for Outstanding Artistry. Frenette began studying full time at School of American Ballet in 2012 and was awarded The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship while there. He studied with Jock Soto and Suki Schorer, and also performed in New York Choreographic Institute workshops. Frenette joined ABT as an apprentice in 2013 and became a member of the corps de ballet in January 2014. His repertoire with the Company includes one of the Three Ivans in Aurora’s Wedding, Demetrius in The Dream, Cockerel and Notary’s Clerk in La Fille mal gardée, Hilarion and Wilfred in Giselle, the Butler, Majordomo, and Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Mithridates in Of Love and Rage, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, a Fairy Cavalier, the English Prince, and the Wolf in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, the Act II pas de deux, Benno, and the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, Evans and "Becomings” in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and featured roles in After You, Deuce Coupe, and Sinfonietta. He created featured roles in Bernstein in a Bubble, Collage & Creed, Dream within a Dream (deferred), Praedicere, and Songs of Bukovina. 

Fangqi Li, originally from Zhengzhou, China, studied ballet at the Secondary School of the Beijing Dance Academy and with The National Ballet of China. She won scholarships for six consecutive years (2010-2016) from her school and the government, and was regularly honored as a Merit Student. She participated in summer intensive programs at American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Heritage, and the Beijing IBCC. Li’s awards include first prize in Group C at Beijing Dance Academy’s 5th Annual International Ballet Competition for Dance Schools (2014), third prize at the Youth America Grand Prix Asian Regional Semi-Finals (2015), and second prize at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition (2016).  In 2017, Li was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne. Li joined ABT Studio Company in September 2017, became an apprentice with the main Company in January 2018, and joined the corps de ballet in June 2018. Her repertoire includes Myrta and Moyna in Giselle, Rosaura in Like Water for Chocolate, the Spanish Dance in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, The Swallow in The Seasons, the pas de trois, a big swan, and the Polish Princess in Swan Lake, Young Clarissa and "Becomings” in Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works, and featured roles in Deuce Coupe, La Follia Variations, Petite Mort, and Sinfonietta. 

American Ballet Theatre’s Summer season at the Metropolitan Opera House continues through July 20, 2024. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org.