Oregon International Ballet Academy
World-class Dance Instruction in the Heart of Beaverton
For over ten years, the Oregon International Ballet Academy has illuminated the greater Beaverton community with artistic excellence, sharing highly acclaimed, award-winning dance instruction and performances for all.
Offering a rare combination of world-class training alongside highly nurturing mentorship, OIBA teachers instill beauty, confidence, health, love and responsibility, inspiring students to fulfill their dreams and become stewards of wellness. Founded and directed by wife and husband powerhouse Xuan Cheng (Ballet Master of Hong Kong Ballet and former Principal Ballerina of Oregon Ballet Theatre) and Ye Li (award-winning choreographer and former Soloist with Oregon Ballet Theatre)…
OIBA provides unparalleled opportunities through its international cultural tours, enrichment programs, and biannual, professionally-produced performances at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.
“[Artistic Director] Xuan shares her passion and support with everyone she touches... [She] has an amazing way of making people believe in themselves.”
— En Face Magazine
“The school offers the highest quality training… [in a] creative, supportive and structured environment” (ABC’s KATU News), inspiring students to find their own unique voice in dance.
OIBA’s roster of master teachers are all current or former soloists or principal dancers with major ballet companies, and are expert mentors through all stages of development, from early formative training to international-level competition. Based on the Vaganova Method, the academy’s teaching approach focuses on precise explanation and clear demonstration alongside valuable input from the directors’ personal experience working with some of the world’s most prestigious and respected directors in dance. OIBA instructors generously share knowledge, encouraging each student to maintain a sense of joy and play as they grow to achieve their highest level of technical proficiency.
Classical dance and ballet are not just for aspiring dance professionals but for EVERYONE in the community to achieve movement and strength, while rendering artistic beauty in the process.
OIBA serves students of all ages, experience levels, backgrounds, and economic diversity, fostering an environment of inter-generational and cultural sharing within this physical art form.
OIBA does not discriminate and welcomes students of any socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability and language. OIBA’s annual scholarship program and low ticket prices help to ensure demographic diversity and access for all.
OIBA is one of the few minority-led arts non-profits in greater Portland.
Performance Opportunity
Through individualized, holistic, and transformative learning experiences, OIBA empowers the next generation of confident, versatile, and world-ready artists. From collaborating with and performing alongside guest-star professional ballet dancers in “high-quality, cohesive and exhilarating” (DanceWire Magazine) productions, to debuting original choreography by Executive Director Ye Li, students gain invaluable stage experience that sets them apart. In addition to its annual program, the academy’s renowned Summer Intensive inspires and accelerates artistic growth, while its international cultural tours broaden horizons, exposing dancers to new influences, perspectives, and global performance opportunities. With its commitment to excellence and innovation, OIBA provides an exceptional foundation for success.
“They want to teach their students the connections between the ballet steps and the stage, and teach the why of it all. They want to teach them curiosity and to become active participants in the process. They want more for their students than just performing and smiling and looking pretty on stage. They want to involve the students in the creative process.”
- Oregon ArtsWatch
Student Success
OIBA dancers enjoy phenomenal success: they won First Prize in 2024 in the 5th Rising Stars International Dance Competition in China out of 140 competitors, regularly place in Youth America Grand Prix competitions, and have continued their education at prestigious institutions including:
Ballet West Academy
Kirov Academy of Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet Academy
The Pacific Northwest Ballet School
The School of American Ballet
The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre
San Francisco Ballet School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Purdue University
Reed College
University of Arizona School of Dance
Yale University