[ The Company ]------[ The Leaders ]------[ History ]----   ::The Leaders::   HA Muti President of Shanghai Ballet HA Muti, studied in Shanghai Conservatory of Music under Professor WEN Kezheng and Professor ZHOU Xiaoyan, majored in Vocal in 1965. He joined the Nanjing Military Region Qian Xian Song & Dance Ensemble and Beijing Railway Corps Art Ensemble as opera singer and chorus in 1970. He was appointed to be deputy chief of Music & Dance Division, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Cultural in 1984, and from 1988 he became director of Shanghai Ballet. He headed Shanghai Ballet to tour to Canada and New Zealand with White-haired Girl, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Giselle. In 1993, Muti was back to the Bureau, and be the Chief of the Music & Dance Division. He was in charge of the organizing work of Shanghai Arts Festival, Shanghai International Arts Festival, the 1st China Shanghai Arts Festival, Music & Dance Performing Month, as well as the staging of Shanghai Symphony and Shanghai Opera with the Italian Teatro dell' Opera of Florence, German Opera of Rhine and British Royal Opera of the Coventry Garden for co-production opera performances. He has also taken part in staging Chinese classical dance SU Wu, The Red Star, Golden Dance with Silver Costume. In 2000, he once again accepted to be president of Shanghai Ballet. XIN Lili Artistic Director of Shanghai Ballet National First-class Dancer Admitted into the Shanghai Dance School, majored in ballet in 1973 and graduated with excellence in 1979. In the same year, she was assigned to Shanghai Ballet and later became principal dancer. With purely graceful and lyrical temperament, Lili appeared outstandingly on the stage in the last twenty years as principal role in Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo & Juliet, as well as in Chinese ballets White-haired Girl, Thunderstorm, Song of Youth, Soul, and the Butterfly Lovers. As a choreographer, she has shown her talent in a modern pas de deux Twine choreographed by herself. Lili won Silver Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition in 1987. She won 1st Grand Prix Couple at the 3rd Paris International Ballet Competition with her partner YANG Xinhua in 1988. She was awarded the title of Shanghai Top Ten Young Artists in 1993 and twice Baosteel Prize for Excellent Performer of Classical Arts in 1993 and 1999. She won the Shanghai Brave Female Award in 1994. Lili technically trained FAN Xiaofeng and SUN Shenyi to win Gold Medals at the 19th Varne International Ballet Competition in July 2000 and directed JI Pingping, FU Shu to win Gold Medal and Silver Medal at the 9th Paris International Dance Competition (Classical) in November 2000. She also trained YU Xiaowei and KE Da to win Gold Medals of Senior Division in the 3rd Shanghai International Ballet Competition in July 2004. In 2000, Lili was appointed artistic associate of Shanghai Ballet and in July 2001, she was appointed as artistic director of Shanghai Ballet. In December 2001, she created and choreographed the Legend of Butterfly Lovers, which premiered in the closing ceremony of Shanghai International Festival of Arts. In December 2001, Lili was invited to be a jury member of the 2nd Shanghai International Ballet Competition. August 2003, she was elected to be Deputy Chairman of Shanghai Dancers Association. In April 2004, Lili was invited to be jury member of the Prix Benois de la Danse.