About Us
FAN NANA
Yang
Fan Nana Yang started her ballet training at the age of 7. Three years later, she was admitted to the Beijing Dance Academy and started her professional ballet study for 7 years, under the tutelage of Yang Lin and Jian Wang. During the school, Yang rehearsed and performed many classic ballet repertoires, such as "Swan Lake", "Le Corsaire", "The Nutcracker", "La Bayadère", "La Esmeralda", etc. At the same time, she learned Chinese folk dance for 4 years, mainly including Tibetans, Mongolian, Uygur, Korean, Han, etc.
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In 2003, Yang entered the Dance Department of Capital Normal University, majoring in dance education, and received her bachelor's degree in dance education in 2007. During the college time,she not only refined the teaching methods of ballet and Chinese folk dance, but also learned Chinese classical dance and teaching methods. She had practiced and worked in many educational institutions in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and other places in China. In 2009, she was hired by Beijing Dance LDTX Training Center as the manager of the training department. In 2014,Yang immigrated to the United States with her family and was invited to serve as a dance teacher for many years in dance education and training institutions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Austin and more.
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In 2020, Fan Nana Yang and her husband Jun Sunny Shen founded the dance studio Nana Ballet in Austin, Texas, hoping to share their passion and experience in dance with the Austin community.
JUN
Shen
Jun "Sunny" Shen began his formal dance training during high school, where he learned ballet, Chinese classical opera, and Chinese folk dance. He earned his bachelor's degree in dance at Beijing Capital Normal University in 2001, and worked with Beijing Dance LDTX as a full-time dancer and choreographer from 2005 to 2009. In the past several years, he has performed and choreographed many works at various worldwide dance festivals such as Beijing Dance Festival, Grand Performances (LA), Dance Salad Festival (Houston), Busan International Dance Festival (South Korea), Culture Scapes (Switzerland), Braunschweig Dance Festival (Germany), and many more. He has also collaborated with many artists and dance companies such as Willy Tsao, Janis Claxton, Charles O. Anderson, Hugo Dalton, Wang Jianwei, Sally Jacques, as well as Ziru Production, Alonzo-King Lines Ballet Training Program, Ellen Bartel Dance Collection, Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company, and Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre. In addition, Shen has rich teaching experiences both nationally and internationally.
In 2013, Shen joined the graduate dance program at The University of Texas at Austin, and earned his MFA in 2016. After his graduation, he formed Shen Jun Movement Effect and started teaching dance at Austin Community College as an assistant professor. In June of 2017, Shen formally joined Blue Lapis Light as a principal dancer and choreographer, and in 2018 was awarded Best Dancer by the Austin Critics Table for his performance in Belonging, Part One. In 2019, Shen’s work Centrifugation was selected to perform at the gala concert of American College Dance Association South Central Regional conference.
VICTORIA
Murillo
University of Texas - 2019, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, UTeach Dance
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Victoria Murillo is a teaching artist from El Paso, Texas. A graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a BFA in Dance, she and received her teaching certification through the UTeach dance program.
She has been the Dance Director at Covington MS since 2019 and teaches ballet, jazz, contemporary, and the choreographic process for students all around the Austin community. As an educator, she believes that students should receive a well-rounded comprehensive dance education that includes elements of performing, creating, and responding to dance. Her goal is to develop artist citizens that will use the creativity they have cultivated in class to make a positive impact on their community and the world.
Isabelle
Green
Isabelle Green was born in Dublin, Ireland. She began her classical ballet training in the United States at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet under the guidance of Margarita de Saa. As a dedicated student, she received scholarships to attend year-round programs at prestigious institutions including The Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C., The Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA, and The Rock School of Dance in Philadelphia, PA.
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While earning her Bachelor of Arts at The University of Pennsylvania, Isabelle joined The Brandywine Ballet. Her repertory highlights include performances at the Estonian National Ballet’s Summer Gala in 2024, as well as notable works such as Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, Serenade, and Concerto Barocco. She has also performed original works by Meredith Rainey and Christine Cox.
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Since relocating to Texas, Isabelle has performed with several companies, including Metamorphosis Dance, The Dance Project, Ventana Ballet, Ballet Texas, and East Side Performing Arts. She boasts an extensive teaching background across various methods. From 2020 to 2023, she coached privately under Green Ballet Coaching, where her students achieved placements in the top 5 and top 10 categories at YAGP Dallas.
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Isabelle has taught at Ballet Austin, Dance Institute, Metamorphosis Dance Academy, The Dance Spot, Austin Community Ballet, and other local studios. She is excited to be teaching at NANA Ballet and is eager to share her passion for ballet with her students.
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Thea
Liao
Thea Liao’s dance career began at the age of nine when she was admitted to the prestigious Beijing Dance Academy, standing out as the youngest in her class. She graduated with honors and quickly made a mark in the professional world by joining Houston Ballet II at 16. Within two years, Thea advanced to a professional dancer with the company.
Her exceptional talent has been recognized with major awards, including 1st place at the 2007 Beijing International Invitational Competition, 3rd place at the 2007 Youth America Grand Prix NYC Final, and a finalist position at the 2010 Prix de Lausanne.
As a dancer with Houston Ballet, Thea performed in numerous classic productions, including Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake. In addition to her performance career, she also served as a guest ballet instructor at various dance institutions in Houston, sharing her expertise and passion for the art.
After her time with Houston Ballet,Thea moved to Austin for college and has since been a staff member at the University of Texas at Austin.
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LAURA
Mattingly
Laura has been studying music in many forms and on many instruments since she can remember. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Music Performance from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. She has since spent her years as a legal assistant and teaching music to children and adults back in Austin, her hometown. She began her studies in tap dance in 2015 at Tapestry Dance Company, and has been dancing ever since.
Bei
Jian
(Jenn)
Ms. Jenn began studying dance at the age of nine. In 2000, she was admitted to the Dance Program at Wuhan Art School, where she focused on ballet, Chinese classical dance, and Chinese folk dance. During her time at the school, she participated in numerous national and international dance competitions and performances—solo and group—and received multiple awards for her work.
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After graduating in 2006, she was admitted to Konkuk University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Film Performance. In 2014, she enrolled in Wuhan Sports University, pursuing a master’s degree in Music and Dance, which she completed in 2016. During her studies, she took part in many large-scale performances and developed extensive stage experience in both dance and drama.
In 2015, she became a drama performance instructor at the Wuhan Sports University, a position she held until her resignation in 2022.
In 2023, she began teaching dance at Spring Rain Dance School in Austin, and in 2024, her choreography received first prize at the Austin Dance Competition.