UK China Performing Arts (UKCPA), was founded in London, England in 2017, is a dance academy which specialises in Chinese classical and folk-dance but also provides education for ISTD Ballet, Jazz, Hip-hop, K-pop and Ballroom dance both online and in the studio.
As an international artistic exchange platform and performing arts company, we have strong relationships with artists and companies from different countries around the world. We have provided professional performance services and collaborations with Theatres and media partners and event organisers such as Lebanon Caracalla Dance Theatre with the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, Netflix on the high-profile production of The Crown and The Ivy Asia restaurant chain.
We have also successfully hosted events, such as exchanges to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Chinese Culture and Arts Festival, Silk road dance festival, masterclasses such as the Chinese Family Day, the Children’s Creative Dance Masterclass, and the Drama Workshop.
We are an official UK subsidiary of CFA (Chinese Folk Dance Association), providing teacher and student training using the Chinese Folk Dance syllabus recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China.
We believe in giving opportunities to everyone who loves dance, with our professional training method that caters to all levels from absolute beginner to professional and also for all ages from 3 years old.
The UKCPA Team
Hangyu(Joanna)Zhou
Artistic Director
Hangyu Zhou is the founder of UKCPA, the examiner of the Beijing Chinese Ethnic Folk Dancers Association and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) qualified Ballet teacher. She graduated from Beijing Dance Academy with a BA in Classical Chinese Dance in 2011. In 2016, she worked at the China National Opera and Dance Theatre and completed a MA in Dance Studies at University of Roehampton.
She has won a silver award in the National Lotus Cup Dance Competition, a bronze award in the Dance Competition of the Five Provinces in Northern China, a silver award in the Beijing Dance Competition and Teaching Excellence award in Taoli World Dance Competition.
She is a leading promoter of Chinese dance. With over 30 years of experience in dancing, teaching and choreography, she devotes herself to bringing the charm of Chinese dance to the UK and introducing Chinese dance to dance lovers all over the world.
Jiayi Fan
Chinese Dance Teacher
Ms. Jiayi is an accomplished dance teacher and choreographer with a strong background in Chinese and modern dance. She earned her BA in Chinese Dance Performance from the School of Dance at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, where she was awarded scholarships for three consecutive years and represented her school on numerous cultural exchange trips. During her undergraduate studies, she also won the 3rd Prize in the Dance Competition of the Six Provinces in Eastern China.
Ms. Jiayi went on to earn her MFA in Dance Choreography from the University of Roehampton, further honing her skills and expertise in the field. As a teacher and choreographer, she is known for her strong foundation in Chinese Classical Dance, as well as her innovative and dynamic approach to modern dance choreography.
Huaqin Wang
Chinese Dance Teacher
She is a member of the Chinese Dancers Association, the first batch of senior teachers of the Chinese Enitic Folk Dance Grade Test Centre.
As the “National Excellent Instructor” of China, she led her students to win the “Golden Bauhinia” Youth Dance Competition Gold Award as well as a gold medal in the Macau International Youth Dance Competition. Her dance class is always passionate and all the children are deeply attracted.
Yaoyao Chen
Chinese Dance Teacher and Chinese Drama Teacher
She is a performing arts educator with a Master’s degree in Performing Arts and Culture from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education from Northeast Normal University in China. She is a former member of the Military Talent Group Dancer and a qualified teacher in Chinese Dance from Beijing Dance Academy and the China Dance Association. She is also a qualified teacher in Classical Dance from the Australian CSTD.
She has over nine years of experience teaching dance and drama at leading American and British international schools in China, where she has helped students develop their skills and pursue their passions. With her diverse background and expertise, she is committed to providing students with a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.
Hsing Ya Wu
Chinese dance, Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher
a highly skilled Chinese dancer and choreographer, has an impressive teaching background which includes leading classes at various institutions such as the UK China Performing Arts, Pineapple Dance Studios, Cloud Gate Dance Studio, National Taiwan University, Bulareyaung Dance Company, WHY Dance Studio, Wonderland Studio, Lee Kum Kee Ltd, and Aberdeen Standard Company.
Her talent extends beyond performance, as she has been granted choreography residencies at esteemed institutions such as the Cité internationale des arts in Paris (France), The American Dance Festival (USA), and The Taipei Artist Village (Taiwan). Hsing Ya Wu’s artistic contributions have been recognized and supported by organisations such as Arts Council England (UK) and National Culture and Arts Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Taipei Culture Foundation, with a total of 11 grants awarded to her to date.
Wei Wang
Ballet Dance Teacher
He is a dancer of the Berlin National Ballet, and he used to work for the National Ballet of China. He graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, and was awarded the Best Actor in 2010 and 2011 by the Ministry of Culture in China. He was once rated as one of the most worth watching actors by the famous German magazine “Dance”. He performed in the ballets “Butterfly Lovers”, “Swan Lake”,”Giselle”, “Romeo & Juliet” etc.
He is a very professional and nice teacher. He patiently answers every question from the students during and after classes. He is a “charming prince” in the eyes of his students.
Yuefang Li
Chinese Dance Teacher
She is a dance choreographer with a Master’s degree from Roehampton University in London, UK. She is also a certified grading teacher at Beijing Dance Academy. As an accomplished dance choreographer, she has created many highly acclaimed works, including “The Rouge”, and “Dazzling Beauty” which won gold awards at the Arts Education Dance Competition, and “Wolves”, and “The Flying Clouds over Yao Mountain” which won silver awards at the same competition.