(Photo is Mr. Qiang Yang with his award-winning student Jenna Zhao, the U.S. Gymnastic Level 9 Champion and Olympic team member.)
The Artistic Director and School Principal of Yang Dance Academy, Mr. Qiang (John) Yang, is a well known choreographer and dance instructor. Mr. Yang became a famous dancer at a very young age and was selected as one of the eighteen dance professionals to enroll
in the first ever class of the Choreography Department of Beijing Dance Academy (北京舞蹈学院), the best dance institution in China. At Beijing Dance Academy, Mr. Yang was profoundly trained in dancing choreography and techniques by internationally-acclaimed artists from world class art organizations such as the British Royal Ballet and the Houston Ballet. He also
received in-depth directions from masters of various dancing art forms, including
traditional Chinese folk dance, classic Chinese dance, contemporary and modern
dance, ballet, ballroom dance, and stage performance etc. After receiving his
bachelor degree in Choreography from Beijing Dance Academy, Mr. Yang became the
professional choreographer and later the Dance Troupe Director of China National
Song and Dance Ensemble (原中央鼓舞团；现并入中国东方歌舞团) in Beijing. During his ten-year
service at the China National Song and Dance Ensemble, Mr. Yang took charge of
training professional dancers, choreographing master dance pieces and directing
multi-form performances at national and international levels. His choreography has earned numerous awards, including the highest
reward from the Ministry of Culture of P. R. China. Mr. Yang was honored as one
of the twenty "Most Outstanding Members" by China National Dance
Artists Association in 1998.
Since moving to
the U.S., Mr. Yang has devoted himself to dance education and performances for
students of all ages with diverse backgrounds. Prior to establishing Yang Dance Academy in 2012, he once worked as the choreographer
and dance instructor of the New York Chinese Culture Center, the Artistic Director
of the Chinese American Association of Minnesota (CAAM), and the founder
and Artistic Director of Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center etc. Mr. Yang's passion for high quality dance teaching/performance and dance profession together with the outstanding professional quality of his class instructions have made Yang Dance Academy one of the best dance schools in the midwest area.
