About Us

Southwest Youth Ballet Theatre Inc. is dedicated to the development
and advancement of ballet students ages 13-18 years of age who aspire to
a professional career in ballet. Southwest Youth Ballet Theatre Inc. not
only provides excellence in pre-professional training and achievement
in artistry, SWYBT also provides a variety of educational outreach and
community outreach programs for the enrichment of our communities.
Southwest Youth Ballet Theatre Inc. receives its artistic guidance from
a renowned principal dancer, Yen-Li Chen, who serves as the Artistic
Director.

Yen-Li Chen's dancing has been praised by critics and audiences from
Asia to South America and throughout the United States. She has
been an invited guest artist at the Festival International de Caracas -
Venezuela, The Santiago international Festival - Chile, in Taipei,
Taiwan and at several dance companies across North America. A
remarkable mastery of technique and artistry in both classical and
contemporary repertory has earned Ms. Chen accolades of audiences
throughout the world. Her repertory includes title roles in Giselle,
Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, the Nutcracker and
numerous others. Ms. Chen has thrilled Arizona audiences since 1992.
Ms. Chen brings the same passion and artistry of her dancing into the
classroom as a master teacher. She has guest taught at numerous
ballet schools in Taiwan, Texas, Oregon, Arizona and California. In
Taiwan, her early training in Vaganova and other ballet techniques
has served her well as a dancer and a teacher. Ms. Chen currently
resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband and former Ballet
Arizona principal dancer, Qisheng Zhang, and their two children.

Yen-Li Chen - Artistic Director
Mary Madine - President
Qisheng Zhang - Vice President
Rob Hitchcock - Vice President
Virginia Mirowski - Secretary
Alicia Williams Young - Treasurer
Ski Taniguchi - At Large
Ed Stock - At Large
Tina Liu - At Large