Born in Liaoning, China, Zhang Xuening trained at Shenyang Conservatory of Music and joined Guangzhou Ballet in 2009. In 2011, she continued her training at Beijing Dance Academy, graduated in 2015 and joined Hong Kong Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member the same year. She became Coryphée in 2021.

With Hong Kong Ballet, she has danced featured roles like Pas de Quatre, Big Swan, Spanish Princess and Russian Princess in John Meehan's Swan Lake, Spanish Doll and Russian Doll in Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, Beauty Fairy in Cynthia Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Bolero and Variation in Nina Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Lead Pirate Woman and Odalesques in Anna-Marie Holmes’ Le Corsaire and Liza the Maid and Curly in Septime Webre’s Peter Pan. Zhang has also performed in Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Ronald Hynd's Coppélia, Pär Isberg’s Pinocchio, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland) and The Great Gatsby, George Balanchine’s Serenade, Jiří Kylián's Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush, Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux, Jorma Elo's Shape of Glow, Edwaard Liang’s Sacred Thread, Trey McIntyre’s A Day in the Life, Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit, Fei Bo’s Shenren Chang and Yuh Egami and Hu Song Wei Ricky’s Carmen and The Rite of Spring.

Zhang won third prize in the Female Junior Division Group at the Taoli Cup Dance Competition in 2009.

Dancer Q&A

1. What was the first ballet you ever performed?
The Nutcracker.

2. What is your favourite food?
Sichuan hotpot and Hunan cuisine.

3. What would you be if you were not a dancer?
A fashion designer or a model.

4. What is your personal style?
Less is more.

5. What is your favourite movie/book?
Harry Potter.

6. What is the coolest thing about being a dancer?
To have become a dancer is already the coolest thing.

7. If you can have a superpower, what could it be?
To be Anna Wintour.

8. Who is your favourite dancer who has inspired you?
Polina Semionova, not only is she a good dancer, she is also a humble person.