Instructors

Born in Zhejiang, China, Shen Jie trained at Zhejiang Vocational Academy of Art, Guangzhou Dance School and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He joined Hong Kong Ballet in 2007, was named Soloist in 2013 and became Principal Dancer in 2016 . In 2022, he was appointed HKB’s Arts Education and Cultural Ambassador.

With HKB, Shen has danced numerous principal and featured roles, including Albrecht in Septime Webre and Charla Genn’s Giselle, Fritz in both Stephen Jefferies’ and Terence Kohler’s The Nutcracker, as well as Prince and Chinese Doll in the latter version, Blue Bird in Cynthia Harvey’s The Sleeping Beauty, Basilio in Nina Ananiashvili’s Don Quixote, Ali and Birbanto in Anna-Marie Holmes' Le Corsaire, Romeo and Mercutio in Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Little Mak in Webre’s Romeo + Juliet, Franz in Ronald Hynd’s Coppélia, Camille in Hynd’s The Merry Widow, Pinocchio in Pär Isberg’s Pinocchio, Gustave in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, White Rabbit and Joker in Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), Peter Pan and Noodler in Webre’s Peter Pan, George Wilson and Nick Carraway in Webre’s The Great Gatsby, Pao Yu in Wang Xin Peng’s The Dream of the Red Chamber, Young Uncle Tak in Yuri Ng’s Firecracker, Young Emperor and Frog Prince in Ng’s The Frog Prince–A Ballet Chinois, Jester in Natalia Conus’ Swan Lake Act III and lead roles in George Balanchine’s Jewels. He was also featured in John Meehan’s Swan Lake, Jiří Kylián's Petite Mort and Sechs Tänze, Nacho Duato’s Castrati, Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush, Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval des Animaux, Jorma Elo’s Shape of Glow, Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Edwaard Liang’s Sacred Thread, Trey McIntyre’s A Day in the Life, Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Sombrerisimo, Fei Bo’s Shenren Chang, Justyne Li and Wong Tan-ki’s Galatea & Pygmalion and Hu Song Wei Ricky’s Between the Emotion and the Response, among others.

Shen won Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer at the 2016 and 2019 Hong Kong Dance Awards. Additionally, he was nominated for the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for his role of Pao Yu in Wang Xin Peng’s The Dream of the Red Chamber in 2014.

Lucas Michael Jerkander brings a distinguished pedigree in ballet, refined through formal training at the esteemed Royal Swedish Ballet School and over 16 years of principal role experience with prestigious national ballet companies worldwide, such as Slovenian National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet and Finnish National Ballet.

His journey in dance has seen him grace the stage in principal roles across a repertoire of iconic ballets, including Don Quixote, Cinderella, Apollo, Lady of the Camellias, Serenade, Nutcracker, Romeo & Juliet, La Sylphide, Jekyll & Hyde, The Great Gatsby and Sleeping Beauty, each performance a testament to his artistry and dedication. Under the tutelage of esteemed directors and choreographers. Lucas has not only mastered classical ballet but also explored the realm of contemporary dance, winning accolades for his innovative variations and choreographic endeavours.

Returning to his beloved city of Hong Kong, Lucas is poised to impart his wealth of knowledge and expertise to aspiring dancers. His teaching delves beyond the mere steps, offering insights into the essence of ballet the meticulous preparation, the nuanced engagement of muscles and the journey towards mastery. His teaching philosophy resonates with his belief that ballet is a universal language, accessible to all who seek its beauty and grace.

With a deep-rooted conviction that dance transcends mere physicality, Lucas fosters an environment where students can explore their artistic potential while nurturing their physical and emotional well-being.

Lucas is a Polestar Pilates instructor and GYROTONIC®️ Apprentice at Sovereign Qi in Sai Yin Pun, where he helps address physical challenges and promote wellness.

Shirley Loong first started learning ballet at the age of eight under the tutelage of Ms Jean Wong. In 1986, she was admitted to the National Ballet School of Canada. Upon graduation, she honed her skills further at the John Cranko Ballettschule in Stuttgart, Germany for two years. She is the first Hong Konger ever admitted to this world-renowned dance institute.

Shirley joined The Hong Kong Ballet as a dancer in 1990, performing many solo pieces and principal roles. Later on, she completed a Degree in Business Studies with distinction at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, and returned to Hong Kong in 1997 to begin her career in dance education. From 2001 to 2004, she was General Manager at the Hong Kong Ballet Group, where she coordinated major productions such as 1st, 2nd and 3rd Young Ballet Stars Award and summer showcases including Cinderella’s Slippers Lost & Found, La Sylphide and Swan Lake.

A registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dance. Shirley was also an instructor at the City Contemporary Dance Company, Advisor at the Hong Kong Arts Development Council until 2008, and has continued her service with the Council as Assessor to this day. She worked with The Hong Kong Ballet again from 2005 as the Director of Education and Outreach Department until 2011.

In 2012, Shirley played the role of Princess Moon Wisdom for the Buddhist 4D Dance Dynamics Theatre production, The Dancer of Ultimate Bliss. In 2014 November, her performance in The Buddha’s Path received rave reviews.

Shirley is currently a member on the Executive Board of the Hong Kong Dance Alliance, one of the ballet teachers for Gifted Young Dancer Programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and dance instructor for the Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection.