Dmitry Chaplin

Dmitry Chaplin — dancer (sytycd) with roots in the USSR

Dmitry Chaplin is a Russian-born professional dancer and choreographer who rose to fame as a competitor and later choreographer on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance. He has choreographed for Broadway, touring productions, and major television events.

Tracing the roots — Rostov-on-Don

Born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Chaplin trained in the rigorous Russian dance tradition before emigrating to the United States. His success on American competitive dance television represents a direct transfer of Russian artistic discipline into the American entertainment mainstream.

Historical context

Soviet Union (USSR) · 1922–1991

Rostov-on-Don. At the time, this region was one of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union.

Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

A career defined by ambition