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Advisory Board Member

Mr Cheng Hsienfa

Advisory Board Member

  • Kaohsiung Tsoying Senior High School in Taiwan

  • Kaohsiung City Ballet in Taiwan

  • Bangkok City Ballet

  • Eglevsky Ballet in New York

  • Corpus Christi Ballet in USA

  • Singapore Dance Theatre (Adult Ballet Program) LaSalle College of Arts

  • National Taipei University of Arts

  • Singapore Chinese Girlls’ School


“It is my sincerest wish that aspiring dancers in Singapore benefit from the best professional vocational training available and to learn how to dance beautifully, intelligently and freely - from the heart, mind & spirit”


Graduated from the National Taiwan University of Arts


Received the “Honorable Young Star Ballet Dancer” Award from National Theatre of Taiwan


Won full scholarship from The Joffrey Ballet at the New York Ballet Competition


Received national scholarship for training at The Atlanta Ballet in 1990 and joined the Atlanta Ballet


Worked with the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre in USA


Worked with Ballet Contemporaneous de Caracas in Venezuela


Invited to dance at the 14th International Ballet Festival of Havana in Cuba


Worked with Singapore Dance Theatre


Received the NAC grant to study with Atterballeto in Italy


Received The martin Rubenstein Award from Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing


Received the Choreography Award at the Barcelona Dance Awards 2008


American Ballet Competition 2013, Boston - Received the “Preserving and Advancing High Standards in Teaching and Artistic Development of Dance Students” Award


World Ballet Competition 2013, Orlando - Received the “Teacher/Coaching Award Jury Prize” Award


NBA Tokyo Ballet Competition 2014, Received the “Excellence in Contemporary Choreography” Jury Prize Award


NBA Fukuoka Ballet Competition 2015 - Received the “Special Teacher Award”


Japan Ballet Competition 2015, Fukuoka - Received the “Best Coaching Award”


The Ballet Competition for Youth 2016, Tokyo - Received the ”Best Coach Award”


NBA Sapporo Ballet Competition 2016 - Received the “Special Teaching Award”


A prolific choreographer and teacher, Cheng Hsienfa’s creative works have won much recognition and awards, both locally and internationally.


As a choreographer at the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), all his works so far, including “Serenade”, “Allegro Brilliante” and “Swan” have been awarded the Gold with Honours at the Singapore Youth Festival. In 2010, under Mr. Cheng’s coaching, SCGS took part in The Barcelona Costa Brava International Dance Competition 2010, and won numerous prizes, including First Prize for Classical Ballet and the Dance Grand Prix Europe Prize for being the top performing group, as well as winning the Best Costumes Award.


He also personally coaches students for participation in the World Ballet Competition in Orlando where his contemporary works were presented. His coaching has also enabled his students to win the Overall Champion awards in the Asia Pacific Dance Competition Classical Ballet Category since 2008 and most recently a 3rd place win in the 2011 American Ballet Competition Ensemble Category.


The school is also proud that all of its students who took part in the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) Examination passed with Honours Plus.


Mr. Cheng began his dance education in his native Taiwan training at the National Taiwan University of Arts where he was awarded the Honorable Ballet Dancer award from the National Taiwan Theatre in 1988. Mr. Cheng's career started in 1987 when he participated in the 2nd New York International Ballet Competition and was awarded the scholarship to train at The Joffrey Ballet and the National Scholarship from Taiwan to train at The Atlanta Ballet in U.S.A. In 1994, after having joined Atlanta Ballet, he was invited to perform in The 14th World Ballet Festival gala night in Havana, Cuba. In 2005 Mr. Cheng received the NAC grant to study with Atteballetto in Italy.


Mr. Cheng has also worked extensively with The Atlanta Ballet, The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, and the National Ballet de Caracas in Venezuela as principal dancer. In 1995, he joined Singapore Dance Theatre as Principal Artist and later, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in Taiwan in 2003. Mr. Cheng made his choreographic debut in the 1999 April/May season of Ballet under the Stars for Singapore Dance Theatre and has created many master works.


Besides being a choreographer at SCGS, Mr. Cheng’s teaching experience also includes teaching at the LaSalle College of Arts as a ballet master.


Cheng Hsienfa has been the Artistic Director of Cheng Ballet Academy since 2006, which he co-founded with this wife, Tan Yaling, who is also the Principal of the Academy. They have a little boy, Leo, and together, they realise their dreams and passion for dance.

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