Lia (Li) Zeng

Lia (Li) Zeng is a dance artist and educator from Wuhan, China. She began her training in Chinese classical dance at a young age before expanding into contemporary dance and other movement practices.

In 2022, Lia moved to Sydney to study at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA), where she completed her Bachelor of Dance. She is currently undertaking a Master of Teaching (Secondary) in Australia. Alongside this, she is also enrolled in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Access Routes (Degree Track) programme, working towards Registered Teacher Status.

Lia’s practice spans contemporary dance, ballet, and Chinese dance, with a strong interest in performance, collaboration, and dance education. She has worked with a range of artists including Raul Tamez, Omer Backley-Astrachan, Maree Dinmore, Victor Zarallo, Lee-Anne Litton, and Anton, and has performed lead roles in works by Raul Tamez, Omer Backley-Astrachan, and Michelle Maxwell.

In 2024–2025, Lia collaborated with AUSTI Dance & Physical Theatre, working with diverse dance artists and contributing to creative and performance-based projects. During this time, she also engaged in collaborative creative processes with artists from different backgrounds, further developing her interest in interdisciplinary practice, performance-making, and contemporary dance collaboration.

Alongside her performance work, Lia is a committed dance educator. In 2015, she founded her own dance school in China, where she continues to support pre-professional training in contemporary dance, ballet, and Chinese dance. In 2018, she trained at the American Dance Festival at Duke University, working with choreographer Blakeley White-McGuire