Baigali

Founder, Dance Director

Baigali is a member of the Urad tribe from Inner Mongolia. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts from Minzu University (China College of Dance), a Master of Fine Arts in Choreography and Dance Directing from Mongolian University of Art and Culture, and a second Master's Degree in Dance Education from New York University.

”I developed a passion for dance at a very young age. Since then I have pursued this passion throughout my education and career. As a member of the Urad Mongolian tribe, with a population of only 42,000 worldwide, I feel the call to promote my heritage. Dance is my way of preserving ethnic culture and connecting with my Urad community. I have learned hundreds of dances from different Asian minority cultures and I have traveled from the Eastern to the Western world. In addition, I have performed and choreographed many dances and dance dramas. My experiences have given me a rich background which enables me to successfully teach professional and amateur dancers.

I want to reach more people and share the joy of dancing as widely as I can. My dream is to train and lead my dancers to the stage and showcase beautiful dances from underrepresented cultures. I love to connect people from different cultures and strengthen our diverse communities.“

Hanmei Chen

Cofounder

陈韩梅, 生于天津, 长于西安。建筑学学士, 计算机科学硕士, 前电子取证专家, 现全职主妇。舞蹈曾是儿时遥不可及的梦想, 直到年近半百才了悟梦想从来不曾远去, 一直深藏于心中。感恩和白嘎丽老师的邂逅, 向我展现了一个用身体讲故事的全新舞蹈世界。我期待着梦想进一步展开, 和爱跳舞的朋友们一起, 用舞蹈来唤起和交流每个人心中的感激, 赞赏, 惊奇, 爱和陪伴。

Hanmei Chen was born in Tianjin and grew up in Xi'an. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Architectural Design and a Master's Degree in Computer Science. Hanmei used to be an electronic forensics specialist and is currently a full-time mom. For Hanmei, dancing was once an unattainable childhood dream. It was not until Hanmei was well into her 40's that she started realizing her dream. She was very grateful when she met Ms. Baigali. Hanmei learned from Baigali how the dance world tells stories using music and the body. Now Hanmei is looking forward to the further unfolding of her childhood dancing dream. She wants to use dance to evoke and convey gratitude, appreciation, wonder, love, and friendship into everyone's heart.

Hong Zhao

赵红, 毕业于中科院物理化学硕士。就业于新药开发领域。作为独立咨询师着重帮助客户新药开发与生产, FDA新药临床试验申请（CMC）等业务。喜欢舞蹈与音乐。十几年前偶然的机会接触到中国舞, 开始只是为了锻炼身体, 但舞蹈老师让我体会到中国舞的魅力, 由兴趣逐渐变成热爱, 成为我生活的一部分。期待在以后的日子里, 跟白老师探索更多民族舞蹈的美和内在真挚情感。

Hong Zhao received a Master's Degree in chemistry from the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She is an independent consultant in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on helping customers with new drug development and production as well as FDA clinical trial applications (CMC). Hong loves dance and music. About ten years ago she discovered Chinese dance and began training for exercise purposes. However, through training, her dance teacher helped her understand the wonders of Chinese dance. Gradually dance became her passion and a major part of her life. With Ms. Baigali, Hong looks forward to further exploring the beauty and feelings of Chinese ethnic dance.

Melinda Zhang

张梦秋，加州执业律师，热衷于多种兴趣爱好。虽然工作之外的时间涉猎广泛，但真正投身并坚持不懈的是舞蹈学习，始于2017年。她对舞蹈的热爱无疑是她持之以恒的动力。张梦秋梦想通过舞蹈，这一身体与灵魂对话的艺术形式，唤醒身体的每一个快乐细胞，寻找隐藏于生活中的美丽与宁静。她在舞蹈中体会到慷慨豪迈、温婉柔美、细腻与平和，学习到舞蹈的智慧和力量，如同海洋的清澈温馨与浩瀚，雄鹰骏马的奔放与豪情，花鸟鱼虫的温情与沉静。 舞蹈对于她是一种美的体验，有声、有韵、有乐。她感恩有缘分与白嘎丽老师相识，期待在未来的习舞过程中，获得更深、更丰富的舞蹈体验。

Melinda Zhang, a California licensed attorney, has many interests and a deep passion for learning. Among her many pursuits, dance has become her life’s most significant and fulfilling part. She began her dance studies in 2017 during her spare time, and her passion for dance has been the driving force behind her continued dedication. Melinda's dream is to use dance—the art form that bridges body and soul—to awaken the joy in every cell of her body and discover life’s hidden beauty and tranquility. She aims to gain wisdom and strength through the learning process of dance, which inspires her like the vast waves of the oceans, the freedom of flying eagles and enthusiasm of galloping horses. Through dance, she explores the power and tenderness of life. For her, dance is an experience of beauty, filled with sound, rhythm, and music. Melinda is grateful to have met Ms. Baigali and eagerly looks forward to deepening her understanding and enriching her experience of dance in the future.

Jieying Li

李洁莹，生活在San Diego，生物工程硕士，从业于医药研发领域。她的舞蹈启蒙于胡蕴琪老师，幼时在上海市学生艺术团舞蹈团的6年时光让她从小就对“台上一分钟，台下十年功”有着深刻的认识。然而真正爱上舞蹈，则是在离开了舞蹈训练的中学时期，但直到进入大学才有契机重拾舞蹈。舞蹈系的选修课和丰富的学生社团让她有机会接触到了包括现代舞，拉丁舞，踢踏舞等各个舞种，也才更明确自己最终最热爱的还是中国古典舞和民族民间舞，同时更加苦于无法在San Diego找到能够长期跟随的老师，直到在疫情初期通过网课遇到了白嘎丽老师。白老师为她开启了舞蹈之旅的新篇章，引领着她进入了一片全新的领域，让她重新认识并开发了自己的身体，不断激发着她的潜力，并随时期待着下一个挑战。如今，舞蹈已是如同呼吸一样是生活中不可或缺的一部分，也希望能走进更广袤的天地，走上更大的舞台，将民族舞蹈的魅力带给更多的人。

Jieying Li has a master degree in Bioengineering, and is currently working in the biotechnology field in San Diego with a focus on assay development and drug screening. Her dance journey started with her childhood mentor and teacher HU Yunqi. Jieying has a deep understanding of the tears, sweat and effort that goes behind those shining moments on stage from her 6 years’ training experience in the Shanghai Student Performing-Arts Troupe Dance Team. However, her desire to dance started only after she stopped dancing in middle school, but it’s not until college had she the chance to pick back up dance again. Classes offered in the Dance Department along with various student organizations allowed her to explore different genre of dance including Contemporary, Latin, and Tap dance. It’s this period of trying out all the different dance styles that confirms her passion ultimately lies within Chinese Classical and Ethnic dances, but she was unable to find an appropriate teacher in San Diego. Luckily, she was connected with Ms. Baigali during the pandemic and has been taking remote classes since then. Ms. Baigali introduced her to a whole new chapter in dance, allowed her to explore and use her body like never before, which constantly pushes her limit and challenges her potential for more to come. Like breathing, dancing is now an inseparable part of Jieying’s life. She hopes to bring the wonder and joy of Chinese dance to a greater audience.

Yao Xiao

肖遥，电子自动化设计工程师，毕业于南加州大学。曾经在一次偶然的机会被朋友推荐了钢管舞，然后慢慢喜欢上了跳舞。23年底在设计钢管舞比赛舞蹈的时候想要融合中国元素，所以找到了白老师学了点长绸扇子的技巧。之后就上了白老师的身韵课，技术技巧，和白老师一起设计了一段现代舞。今后，他想要通过不断的努力让自己更加的灵活，成为不输于专业的舞者。

Yao Xiao, an electronic design automation software engineer, is graduated from University of Southern California. Back in June 2023, one of his friends recommended pole dance to him and he gradually loves dancing. At the end of 2023, in order to mix Chinese traditional elements into the choreography for pole competition, he found Teacher Bai and learned a few tricks of long silk folding fans. Soon after this, under Teacher Bai, he studied Chinese Shenyun elements, classical techniques, and choreographed a piece of contemporary dance with her. In future, he wants to become more flexible so he can even compete with professionals.

Yuqing Huang

黄钰晴，毕业于纽约大学音乐治疗系，自幼对舞蹈和音乐充满热爱，始终怀抱着对中华文化的深厚情感。近几年作为加州大学圣地亚哥分校中国舞社的成员，希望通过舞蹈诠释和传播中国古典舞和民族民间舞的独特魅力。2023年，有幸在圣地亚哥州立大学音乐剧《西厢记》中饰演崔莺莺一角，这次难忘的演出不仅是一次成长，更坚定了我继续追寻舞蹈梦想的决心。 感恩在舞蹈之路上遇见了白嘎丽老师，她是我心中的灵魂舞者。她让我更深的体会到舞蹈中真挚而丰富的美。希望未来能与更多喜爱舞蹈的朋友一同分享这份热情，用舞蹈传递内心的感动和对生活的热爱。

Yuqing Huang, a graduate of the music therapy department from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, has been deeply passionate about dance and music since childhood and has always harbored a deep affection for Chinese culture. Currently, she is a member of the Chinese Dance Society at the University of California, San Diego, where she hopes to interpret and promote the unique charm of Chinese classical and folk dance through her performances. In 2023, she had the honor of playing the role of Cui Yingying in the musical "The West Chamber" at UCSD. This unforgettable performance has not only marked a period of growth but has also strengthened her determination to continue pursuing her dance dreams. She is grateful to have met Ms. Baigali on her dance journey, whom she considers a soul dancer, dancing from her heart. Under Ms. Baigali, she has learned to deeply appreciate the sincere and rich beauty within dance. She hopes to share this passion with more enthusiasts in the future, conveying heartfelt emotions and love for life through dance.