Qi Huan
Artistic Director | Co-Founder, Ballet Quarter
"Dance with your heart and treasure every second in class or on stage!"
An award-winning former principal dancer with the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB), Qi Huan is a classical ballet teacher dedicated to sharing his dance knowledge and stage experience to the next generation of young dancers. Qi has a Bachelor's Degree of Teaching and Performing Arts in Ballet, and taught at the Beijing Dance Academy prior to dancing with the RNZB.
Meet Qi
Qi's extensive career as a principal dancer with RZNB led into his joining the faculty of the New Zealand School of Dance (NZSD), a school with an international reputation for training dancers at the highest level. Graduates have gone on to fulfil international careers and many have made significant contributions as choreographers and company directors. During his time at NZSD, Qi has led and coached students to participate in prestigious ballet competitions globally including the Alana Haines Australasian Awards Competition (2015-2019) and notably winning first prize at both the Beijing International Ballet Competition and Sir John Logan Ballet Competition in Auckland in 2018. Qi's professional background lends itself to world-class coaching and teaching skills, where countless students under his tutelage have pursued professional dance careers.
A ballet superstar in his own right, Qi has performed many leading roles including Ethan Stiefel and Johan Kobborg’s Giselle, Sir Russell Kerr’s Swan Lake and Petrouchka, Garry Harris’s The Nutcracker and Don Quixote, Christopher Hampson’s Cinderella and Romeo & Juliet, David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin, MacMillan’s Concerto Pas de Deux, Benjamin Millepied’s 28 Variations, George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Liam Scarlett's Midsummer Night's Dream, Le Corsaire and countless other renowned works.
Qi was invited by Mao's Last Dancer's Li Cunxin (Artistic Director of Queensland Ballet) to guest perform in principal roles for 4 seasons with the Queensland Ballet. He has also notably starred alongside American Ballet Theatre superstar Gillian Murphy (Giselle) as Albrecht in RNZB’s universally acclaimed filmed production Giselle produced by Johan Kobborg and Ethan Stiefel.
As Artistic Director of Ballet Quarter, Qi strives to inspire the very best in every dancer who steps into our studios. His depth of knowledge and pure passion for the art form fosters a learning environment that motivates, enriches and inspires.