A dazzling night of stars—top Chinese ballet artists on the world stage
10+ stunning classical and contemporary excerpts, capturing ballet’s finest moments in a century
With its resounding success in 2024, the Gala returns with an even more stellar lineup

 

BAI Dingkai, FENG Haoliang, LI Fangqi, LIANG Zecheng, LIN Xue
LIU Sirui, SHI Yue, SUN Jiayong, XIA Jun, YU Hang, ZHANG Yuanyuan
From leading companies in Norway, the UK, the US, Germany, Switzerland, and Netherlands.

 

They are the pride of China on the global stage
Now, for the first time, they reunite at home—
Just to light up a night of celebration with excellence.

 

 

About Glory: Chinese Ballet Stars Gala
Glory: Chinese Ballet Stars Gala was initiated by AO Dingwen and is presented by eleven overseas Chinese dancers, BAI Dingkai, FENG Haoliang, LI Fangqi, LIANG Zecheng, LIN Xue, LIU Sirui, SHI Yue, SUN Jiayong, XIA Jun, YU Hang, ZHANG Yuanyuan

Over the years, they have been unveiling the strength and beauty of Chinese dancers on stages worldwide, seldom having a chance to return and perform in their homeland. This August, they will gather at the Shanghai International Dance Center Theater to present over ten selected dance segments, demonstrating the beauty of both classical and modern ballet in one performance, transcending the allure of ballet technique and aesthetics, and creating a dazzling gala night filled with starlight and brilliance.

 

Eleven Chinese star dancers from eight international ballet companies
Norwegian National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Royal Ballet (UK), American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Semperoper Ballett Dresden, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, and the Dutch National Ballet.

After standing out in major competitions such as the Lausanne International Ballet Competition, the Jackson International Ballet Competition, the Helsinki International Ballet Competition, the Varna International Ballet Competition, the Beijing International Ballet Competition, the Shanghai International Ballet Competition, and the Peach and Plum Cup, they embarked on overseas studies and career paths. Despite their young age, they have already taken on prominent roles such as principal dancers and prima soloists in their respective companies, letting world get to know the unique charm of Chinese ballet dancers.
On August 1st and 2nd, after years of development abroad, they have been invited back to their homeland to present a remarkable Chinese Ballet Stars Gala.

 

The intersection of classical and modern ballet, the dual allure of strength and beauty
The gala presents not only meticulously selected classic duets from renowned ballets such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Giselle, and Coppélia, but also modern ballet pieces choreographed by master John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, and Kaloyan Boyadjiev. The convergence of classical and modern ballet creates a grand celebration and feast for the senses.

Without the need to travel to Europe or North America, audiences can enjoy diverse ballet classics performed by ballet stars from the world's top dance companies. Their superb physical technique and imaginative artistic expression culminates in a one-of-a-kind and irreplicable performance that captures the dual allure of strength and beauty in ballet for over a century.

 

*The program schedule for the performance, including both classical and modern ballet pieces, will be coming up next. Stay tuned!

 

About the dancers
BAI Dingkai (Dancer, Norwegian National Ballet)
FENG Haoliang (First Artist, Birmingham Royal Ballet)
LI Fangqi (Soloist, American Ballet Theatre)
LIANG Zecheng (Principal Dancer, Philadelphia Ballet)
LIN Xue (Principal, Hamburg Ballet)
LIU Sirui (Principal Dancer, Cincinnati Ballet)
SHI Yue (Principal, Boston Ballet)
SUN Jiayong (Former Principal Dancer, Béjart Ballet Lausanne)
XIA Jun (Principal, Semperoper Ballett Dresden)
YU Hang (First Artist, The Royal Ballet)
ZHANG Yuanyuan (Principal, Dutch National Ballet)
*The final lineup for the performance may be subject to change.

 

Producer, Director, and Artistic Director: AO Dingwen
Dancer, Choreographer, Producer, National First Artist, Principal Dancer of Suzhou Ballet Theatre, Former Principal Dancer of Liaoning Ballet, Council Member of Liaoning Dancers Association, Guest Professor at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, and National Women Model Worker for Contributions.

 

At 18, AO Dingwen starred as Frigia in the Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus. She joined Liaoning Ballet in 2011 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2018. In 2025, she became a Principal Dancer with Suzhou Ballet Theatre.

 

AO has won numerous awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the 3rd Tokyo International Ballet Competition in Japan, Silver in the Junior Division at the 7th Helsinki International Ballet Competition in Finland, Bronze in the Senior Group at the 13th Moscow International Ballet Competition, and Gold Award in the Senior Division at the 6th Shanghai International Ballet Competition.

 

Beyond competitions, she has starred in several acclaimed original Chinese ballets, such as Eight Heroines (winner of China’s prestigious Wenhua Award) and The Lovers—The Butterfly Legends (winner of Liaoning Provincial Wenhua Prize), for which she received the Outstanding Performance Award. She also gained national recognition as Top 3 on the popular variety show Dance Smash.

 

As a choreographer, AO was selected for the Young Artistic Creative Talent Funding Project by the China National Arts Fund in 2024. Her original works include Labyrinth (First Prize, Liaoning Dance Competition, 2023), The Jade Hairpin (selected for Rising Artists’ Works, China Shanghai International Arts Festival, 2024), and The Wall (chosen for the Youth Incubation Platform at SIDCT).

 

Full-length Works: Role (2021), a music-dance theatre; Sundial (2023), a ballet poem created for Liaoning Ballet; The Jade Hairpin (2024), a contemporary ballet for Shanghai Ballet; The Wall (2025), a contemporary ballet for Zhejiang Conservatory of Music
Short and Mid-length Works: Prelude to Farewell (2021), Homeland (2022), Labyrinth (2023)
Production Projects: 2024-2025 Glory: Chinese Ballet Stars Gala; Music-dance Theatre Role.
Principal Roles in: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Eight Heroines, The Lovers—The Butterfly Legends, Mulan, Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, Moon Reflected in Erquan Spring, Role, Lady White Snake, Notre Dame de Paris, The Jade Hairpin, Sundial, Glorious Clouds
Pas de Deux: Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Grand Pas Classique, Diana and Acteon, Giselle
Contemporary: Terracotta, Colour of Blood, Jiu'er, League of Kings, Between Light and Shadow, Waiting, Drifting Sand, Hello Guys, Cherished Encounter, The Eighth Tale, Together, Song of the Angel