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Li begin his ballet training at the Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 11 under Mr. Cao Jingrong. Upon graduation in 1979, Li was invited to join the resident ballet company. He was quickly promoted to principal dancer. The company merged with Central Ballet of China in 1984 and is now known as the National Ballet of China. During that time, Li travelled with the company and performed across Southeast Asia and most parts of China. In 1988, Li immigrated to Canada and was immediately invited by Lawrence Gradus to join the Theatre Ballet of Canada, in Ottawa. Li has since performed extensively across the United States, Canada and parts of Europe.
As a dancer, Li had the opportunity to perform an extensive repertoire of roles and world premiere choreographies. Some of his most notable roles include: Franz in Coppelia, Colas in La Fille Mal Gardee, The Jester in Swan Lake, The Bronze Idol in La Bayadere, Peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Le Spectre de la Rose and Paquita pas de deux. Li also had the unique opportunity to perform in pieces such as: Anton Dolin’s Pas de Quatre for men, L by Ben Stevenson, Cantana by David Earle, Continuo by Anthony Tudor, Ballade by Choo San Goh, A Toast by Lawrence Gradus, and Come Rain, Come Shine by Francis Patrelle.
Li has also studied and worked with international artists such as Ben Stevenson, Lynn Seymour, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Celia Franca, Anne Wolliams, Sulamith Messerer, Karen Kain and Olga Evreinoff .
Li begin his teaching at the Beijing Dance Academy while he was enrolled in Dance Education major under the academy’s Ballet Department. Li has since taught in Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and the United States. He was the company teacher for the Ottawa Ballet and was invited to teach for the Quinte Ballet School, Simon Fraser University and the National Ballet of Canada, among others.
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