Leili Xin Xin was abandoned in China and adopted by our family as a baby. At 5 years old, she danced  with Qi Zhang and her dance studio with other  Chinese little girls. They performed locally for Chinese New Year and Leili was now introduced to the beauty of Traditional Chinese dance. Qi relocated her dance studio but Leili continued her dance career here where we live in Agoura Hills, California with California Dance Theatre. She has since gone on to win major ballet competitions! She  is now 15 years old and has already danced on scholarship with the prestigious Houston Ballet and San Francisco Ballet companies, as well as the lead role of "Clara" with the Pacific Festival Ballet, two years in a row! She owes her love of dance and performing to Qi Zhang who encouraged her at a young age. Qi has kept in touch with Leili over the years! Thank you Qi for giving Leili her start with a professional career as a ballerina! Mark and Carrie Rackow, proud adoptive parents.

Qi is the most amazing teacher i have ever met!  Thank you very much for working with me for countless hours and inspiring me to pursue my dream _Jingyi Zhang, First Place Recipient from the most prestigious dance competition" tao li cup"in China 2014. 2014年青少年海外組桃李杯 —等奬獲得者

I began training with Qi Zhang in 2009 . When I began dancing with Qi, who trained in both classical ballet and traditional Chinese dance. At the time I had only learned Chinese dance mimicking movement, without truly knowing the culture and aesthetic principles behind Chinese folk dance. As a teacher with both professional classical ballet and Chinese folk dance training, Qi was able to teach me not only movement, but also principle. 

I have grown as a technical dancer in many ways. I truly believe that I became a mature dancer under Qi Zhang’s loving guidance and structured teaching style. As a dancer, I’ve learned the importance of movement fundamentals in ballet and Chinese dance. I remember the first solo piece Qi Zhang choreographed for me was a Chinese folk dance piece in traditional Dai style. Qi taught me to understand and be conscientious about every detail from the soles of my feet to the angle of my chin to the length of my fingertips. I remember her always willing to spend an extra 10 minutes to an extra hour to ensure that I understood and executed the dance to a level wherein I knew the purpose of each move, and what I as a dancer wanted to convey to my audience at each moment in the dance. Qi taught me to not settle for anything but perfection, and from her I have learned to see dance as an art and as a story.

Since I have been dancing with Qi Zhang, I have gained an understanding of dance that is not limited to technique, or movement fundamentals. Qi Zhang teaches dance as a narrative of mind, body, culture, and perspective. From technique class to learning individual pieces, Qi teaches with an attention to detail that enables me, as her student, to also be a purposeful dancer. She invests in her students and provides an invaluable dance experience.-Kathy