YI ZHANG studied Classical Ballet and Chinese Folk Dance at the Shanghai Dancing School as a young dancer, then became a professional performer with Shanghai Dance Company where she worked until 2002. She then studied Arts Management at Jiao Tong University, and later came to Australia to the Victorian College of the Arts, where she has just completed her Bachelor of Dance. Yi is currently studying for her Postgraduate Diploma in Classical Ballet Teaching at the Victorian College of the Arts. Yi's performing credits include major Chinese government events including the Chinese Spring Festival of 1996, 1997, and 1998 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in Shanghai. She has performed in many countries overseas including Singapore's Performing Arts Festival 2000, the French Arts Festival 2000, and the celebrations for the Return of Hong Kong and Macao in 2000 and 2001. She performed with the America Ballet Theater at the Colorado Arts Festival in 2001. Yi won three 'Golden Lotus' prizes at the National Collective Dancing Contest in 2001. Since coming to Melbourne, Yi has also been working a s a dance teacher in Melbourne at the White Swan Dance School and Chinese Culture School.