Biography
Yan Xiaoqiang, from China, is a celebrated dancer and choreographer with extensive teaching experience in dance. He joined the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) as Lecturer of Chinese Dance since August 2013, teaching Chinese Classical Technique, Shen Yun, Partnering Skills, Traditional Material Practice and Repertory. He has been MFA advisor since 2018.
Yan started professional dance training at Taiyuan Arts School in Shanxi Province and continued his study in Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), graduating with a B.A. degree, majoring in Performance and Education in Chinese Classical Dance and a M.A. degree researching on the Theory and Practice of Dance Performance under the tutelage of Professor Wang Peiying.
In 2009, Yan has been finalist of Contemporary Dance (Senior Division) in the 6th Seoul International Dance Competition. In 2006, he was Finalist of the 8th Taoli Cup Dance Competition. He was awarded First prize of Professional Division in the National Dance Competition for College Students in 2005 and the Gold Medal of Shanxi Provincial Dance Competition in 2000.
Yan was founding dancer of the Beijing Dance Theater since 2008 for five years. He danced all leading roles and has collaborated with renowned choreographers from around the world. Those repertoire of various styles ranged from Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Chinese Dance, Tai Chi, Kun Qu, Hip-hop and Drama Theatre. With the company, he has been performing in numerous top festivals and theatres worldwide, including Sadler’s Wells of London, Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C., BAM Next Wave Arts Festival of New York, Holland Dance Festival, Royal Danish Theatre, Cervantino Festival in Mexico, Belgrade Arts Festival in Serbia, Tel Aviv Arts Festival in Israel and twice at the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
From 2006 to 2008, while being a graduate student, Yan was the assistant teacher of Chinese Classical Dance Technique and Repertoire at the BDA and helped setting up the Dance Performance Course syllabus. At the Beijing Dance Theater, he was also the rehearsal director for certain repertory and worked as part-time company class teacher. He was invited as guest teacher of Hong Kong Dance Company since 2017 and has been invited to teach at Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance in Munich, Germany.
Yan is also an active choreographer, he has created works for Beijing Dance Theater, Shanghai Theater Academy, Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou University, HKAPA and a Chinese Paintings Multimedia Exhibition at Zentrum Paul Klee of Bern in Switzerland. His critically acclaimed works including Martlet, Isle, Metropolis, Autumn Thoughts, Butterfly Lovers and Pulse has been performed in various prestigious performing arts venues including the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing.