Famed ballet dancer gets 9 years for sexually assaulting students

An ex-principal ballet dancer for the English National Ballet was sentenced to 9 years successful situation for much than a twelve counts of battle and rape against his students.

Yat-Sen Chang, 49, was convicted by a London tribunal successful May with 13 counts, including 1 pupil who said the creation teacher had forced her into sex, according to The Guardian.

Chang began his condemnation connected Wednesday, 1 time after World Ballet Day, which is celebrated annually.

During the hearing, Judge Edward Connell told the tribunal that the “internationally renowned” dancer had utilized his “fame and prestige” to manipulate and maltreatment young women nether his complaint astatine the Young Dancers Academy successful London and with the ENB, betwixt December 2009 and March 2016.

His victims, aged 16 to 18 astatine the time, claimed Chang — himself a begetter of an big girl — had touched them inappropriately during post-practice massages.

“You became emboldened erstwhile the young women did not study your conduct,” Judge Connell told Chang connected Wednesday. “Your offending has had a profound interaction connected each your victims and you person demonstrated nary remorse for your appalling behavior.”

As 1 of Chang’s victims testified: “He did ruin astir of my precocious teenage years. I anticipation helium volition look what helium has done with regret and pain. I inactive consciousness haunted, violated, shamed and humiliated.”

Mugshot of Yat-Sen Chang. Convicted successful May, Chang faced sentencing successful a London tribunal connected Wednesday.AP

She said she initially mischaracterized his demeanor arsenic “nice,” but arsenic she got older, she “became progressively disgusted astatine what happened” with Chang, who told the tribunal that helium had “no idea” wherefore the women had alleged assault.

His defence lawyer Kathryn Hirst reiterated that the ballerino is “not blameworthy successful these matters,” but has yet “accept[ed] the jurors’ verdicts.”

Cuban-born Chang began his illustrious creation vocation astatine the Cuban National Ballet School earlier moving successful France, and eventually, the UK wherever helium was offered a declaration to creation and tally summertime creation programs. His productions with the English conservatory person included Nutcracker, Coppélia and Sleeping Beauty, until helium stepped down from his main relation successful 2011, astatine which constituent his sole absorption became moving the school.

The ENB issued a connection pursuing Chang’s sentencing connected Wednesday to accidental they were “appalled” by the allegations. “English National Ballet was shocked and acrophobic to larn of the offenses of a erstwhile institution dancer,” they said. “Our thoughts are with the victims who person shown bravery and spot successful raising their voices.”