Yuan Yuan Tan

Yuan Yuan Tan was born in Shanghai, China. Her dream of becoming a ballerina began at age five, watching Swan Lake on television. She began studying ballet full-time and won international competitions in her early teens. At 18, she was hired by the San Francisco Ballet, the company’s first Asian soloist. Two years later Tan was named principal dancer — the youngest in the company’s history.

Tan has championed Chinese American artists in the San Francisco Bay Area throughout her career. When the San Francisco Ballet embarked on its first tour of China, she led the way as cultural ambassador, building bridges through her art. She established an international ballet studio in Shanghai as “an innovative supplement to China’s existing ballet education system,” Tan told Shine magazine.

Recognized internationally, Tan was featured in Chelsea Clinton’s children’s book She Persisted Around the World alongside other female leaders. In 2024 Tan retired from the San Francisco Ballet after 29 seasons but vowed to “continue making a positive impact in ballet and beyond,” she told the San Francisco Chronicle.