The Principal

Mrs. Christine Liao, better known by her stage name Mao Mei, is the daughter of a famous movie director and producer, Yuen Yang-an.

Mao mei, born to an artistic family became famous as a dancer since age sixteen. She has starred in many dance movies, one of which was selected for showing at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

Academically, Christine Liao is quite outstanding. A Diocesan Girl's School graduate, Christine proceeded to University of Hong Kong where she graduated with Honours in English, French, and Putonghua. She also speaks German and Italian. After graduation from Hong Kong University, Christine proceeded to continue her ballet studies in England.

In 1964, upon her return from the U.K., she started the Christine Liao School of Ballet. For over 40 years, it has the reputation of producing excellent international professional dancers and brilliant ballet examination results. A great percentage (above 94%) of the students achieved distinctions and merits in the past 3 years.

The Christine Liao School of the Ballet has grown to become the largest ballet school in the world producing world class dancers. Over the years, its students have won Adeline Genee Gold Medal in London and competed in international competitions and won prizes from Prix de Lansaune and China National Ballet Competition. Dancers from the school are now principal dancers in well-known companies all over the world. A former student, Ravenna Tucker, has been the principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Birmingham Ballet for over ten years. Tracy Li is a principal ballerina of the CAPAB Ballet Company in South Africa.

In the seventies, Mrs. Christine Liao helped to form the professional Hong Kong Ballet Company and has been Vice-Chairman and Chairman of Executive Committee for many years. She was an advisor to the City Contemporary Dance Company and the Hong Kong Dance Company. She also chaired the Dance Scholarship for the Jockey Club Music Fund and chaired Adjudication for Hong Kong Inter-School Dance Competition.

Mrs. Christine Liao was appointed member for the Council of the Performing Arts and chaired its Dance Committee. She is a major force over the last 30 years behind Hong Kong dance development. In 1986, Mrs. Christine Liao was appointed Justice of Peace by Hong Kong Government in recognition for her valuable contributions to the world of dance in Hong Kong.

In 2008 she was a recipient of a Hong Kong Dance Alliance Distinguished Achievement Award, and the Neway Achievement Award. Christine Liao - Mao Mei continues to contribute significantly to dance in Hong Kong: currently she is a member of the Advisory Committee of the School of Dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, an honorary advisor to the Hong Kong Ballet, an artistic advisor to the Hong Kong Dance Company, and an advisor to the Hong Kong Dance Federation. Christine Liao continues to produce each year many classical ballets for young audience such as “Swan Lake” “Sleeping Beauty” “Cinderella” “Coppelia” “La Fille Mal Gardee” etc, with a view to nurturing young artists, developing artistic excellence, and inspiring interest in Dance Culture. In addition, Christine Liao has set up Hong Kong Dance Foundation which continues to offer Dance Scholarship to many students every year since 1999.

For all her dance contribution to Hong Kong, Christine Liao was conferred Honorary Fellowship award from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2009. She was also awarded top 100 Chinese Women Entrepreneur in 2010.