Ethnic heritage: Black British (Jamaican parents)

Year of birth: 1965

Training: Central School of Ballet, 1983-1986

Ballet career: Chris Copeland graduated from Central School of Ballet in 1986. He was the Principal dancer with the Vienna Festival Ballet, Austria for four years where be performed in Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Le Corsaire and Sleeping Beauty with the company. Other ballet work includes performing in the corps de ballet in Aida with the Scottish Opera; and Romeo and Juliet with the Scottish Ballet; Homage to Nijinsky in aid of Friends of the Earth at the London Palladium, and Gala for the Birds hosted by Wayne Sleep at the Royal Opera House.

Dance career: Copeland has danced in the charity gala performance Aspects of Dance at the Hackney Empire. He has appeared in several hit West End musicals, operas, and concerts to date. These include Rusty in Swing, (understudy), Dink (understudy) and Second Soldier (German tour) in Carmen Jones, Coricopat and Mistoffelees (understudy and cast) in Cats, Tyrone in Fame, and dancer in Porgy and Bess.

He has been a long-time performer in the popular West End musical Starlight Express and he is currently performing in the West End in the Tony-award winning musical The Book of Mormon.