Born in Liaoning, China, Ye Feifei trained at Xun Yan Ballet School in Shenyang and Goh Ballet Academy in Canada. She joined Hong Kong Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member in 2006, was named Coryphée in 2009 and became Soloist in 2010. She left the Company in 2014 and returned as a Principal Dancer in 2016.

With HKB, Ye has performed the title role of Coco Chanel in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon, principal and featured roles, including Odette/Odile in John Meehan’s Swan Lake, Giselle in Septime Webre and Charla Genn’s Giselle, Queen of the Wilis in John Meehan and Lin Mei-fang’s Giselle, Princess Aurora in Cynthia Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Ballerina and Spanish Doll in Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in Webre’s The Nutcracker, Kitri and Dulcinea in Nina Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Medora and Gulnare in Anna-Marie Holmes' Le Corsaire, Juliet in Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet and Webre’s Romeo + Juliet, Swanhilda in Ronald Hynd’s Coppélia, Hanna Glawari in Hynd’s The Merry Widow, Marguerite in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Queen of Hearts and Eaglet in Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), Daisy Buchannan in Webre’s The Great Gatsby, Turandot in Natalie Weir’s Turandot, Carmen in Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky's Carmen and lead roles in George Balanchine’s Jewels. She was also featured in Webre’s Carmina Burana, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush, Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux, Jorma Elo’s Shape of Glow, Stephen Shropshire’s Handelwerk, Hu’s Between the Emotion and the Response and Tang Min (after Jules Perrot)’s Pas de Quatre, among others.

An active participant in many international ballet competitions, Ye has received numerous awards, including a silver medal at the Genée International Ballet Competition and a bronze medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2006.

Dancer Q&A

1. What was the first ballet you ever performed in a principal role?
My first principal role was the title role in Giselle.

2. What’s the most challenging ballet you have danced, and what made it so challenging?
The most challenging ballet I have danced is my second principal role as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. I was so young, and this ballet is full of emotions. It was my first time to dance in such a dramatic ballet. Juliet goes from being a young girl, and she has a whole story arc until death. It was such a very special process to go through and experience.

3. Most memorable onstage moment and why?
The most memorable onstage moment was during one of the previous tours to Beijing. I had to step in and perform in the main role of Giselle for two performances with only two weeks of rehearsals.

4. How do you unwind after a show?
I unwind by drinking with friends after the shows. If I feel I performed well, we celebrate; if I did not, at least it is a consolation!

5. If you could have one more talent, what would it be?
If I could have one more talent, I would love to be able to play the piano. I enjoy listening to Bach’s music. In fact, I did learn to play when I was young, but my dance teacher preferred me to focus on training instead.

6. What is the most interesting place you have ever visited or want to visit?
I want to go to England and see the great historical buildings and the architecture.

7. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I would love to have the ability to change my body shape any time (without surgery!), so I could have the perfect body shape for any dance piece. Or, I would love to have the cartoon Doraemon’s “Anywhere Door”, since I could save so much time on my daily commute!

8. Who is your favorite dancer who has inspired you?
Sylvie Guillem—the way she dances is insane! Her charisma onstage…she’s got everything that I want to be as a dancer.