Xinyi Zhang
Founder of Xinyi Dance Studio & Xinyi Dance Company | Dancer | Choreographer | Young Dance Educator
Xinyi Zhang began her career in Beijing. While at the Affiliated High School of Beijing Dance Academy, she competed in the 9th Tao Li Cup, where her solo performance Spring Dawn won third prize. Early stage experiences include appearances in Grand Garden of Peking Opera on CCTV-11 and the Beijing Dance Academy’s 60th Anniversary Gala. With extensive training, she also performed at major events such as the World Women University Presidents Forum at the Great Hall of the People. She was featured as Bai Suzhen in Broken Bridge by renowned choreographer Hu Yan, and won first prize at the North China Five Provinces Dance Competition.
After moving to the United States, Zhang performed in Coexistence, a duet choreographed by Tian Tian in Cincinnati, and starred in the ballet Firebird in Houston with the Texas Medical Center Orchestra. She also danced as a main company member with Ad Deum Dance Company in Houston. In 2022, she pursued her master’s degree at New York University with a scholarship and was awarded the Outstanding Artistry Award. Following graduation, she starred as Mulan in My Mulan, choreographed by Li Lin and Liu Lili, in Toronto, and received a full scholarship to the José Limón Dance Company’s training program. In 2023, she served as a judge for the Youth Dance Festival competition and collaborated with distinguished choreographers including Deborah Damast, Randall Flinn, and Durell R. Comedy. In 2024, she premiered her own full-length work Heaven & Earth, expanding her creative reach to multimedia dance films and theatrical choreography.
In 2024, Zhang officially joined the José Limón Dance Company. That same year, she was invited by NYU’s Steinhardt School of Music and Performing Arts Professions as lead choreographer to create Heaven & Earth, a large-scale production in collaboration with Jonathan Haas (Director of Percussion Studies), Deborah Damast (Director of Dance Education), and Chinese musician Pius Cheung.
During her time at the Beijing Dance Academy, Zhang successfully guided students in dance entrance exams. She has over eight years of teaching experience in the U.S., specializing in Chinese classical dance, ballet, and modern dance. Her students have won top prizes at national competitions such as YAGP, KAR, and Showstopper.
Certified Teacher, American Ballet Theatre (all levels)
Certified Teacher, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT)
Certified Teacher, Beijing Dance Academy Chinese Dance (all levels)
Certified Teacher, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT)
Certified Teacher, Beijing Dance Academy Chinese Dance (all levels)