Ying E Ding is an acclaimed choreographer, director, dancer and educator known for his visually spectacular dance works that meld traditional forms with modern sensibilities. Trained at the Shanghai Academy of Dance, the Shanghai-born Ying first made his mark in Singapore at the Singapore Arts Festival in 1986. His next work in Singapore 《国殇》Guo Shang confirmed his reputation as a choreographer and he went on to create many well-received dance works for various dance companies in Singapore while working as a choreographer with the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. In 1992, Ying received the Cultural Medallion for his contributions to dance in Singapore.

Born in 1947 in Shanghai, China, dancer-choreographer Ying E Ding was trained in Chinese folk dance and ballet, eventually earning the role of principal dancer at the Shanghai Academy of Dance in such large-scale dance dramas as 《白毛女》The White-Haired Girl and 《红色娘子军》The Red Detachment of Women.

Gaining experience from an extensive dance repertoire, Ying began to feel dissatisfied with merely being a dancer interpreting works that he felt were too simplistic. He began to try his hand at choreography, taking inspiration from forward-thinking Western choreographers such as George Balanchine and Pina Bausch, who would be great influences on Ying’s choreography career marked by a melding of traditional forms with modern sensibilities.

In 1977, Ying joined the Shanghai Song & Dance Ensemble as its principal dancer and choreographer. During his time there, he toured extensively with the ensemble to Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg and Switzerland. He used this wealth of dance experience and knowledge to create dance choreographies that drew from the visual impact of dance works he saw on his travels. He created works that were large in scale and visually spectacular such as 《牧马人之歌》The Song of the Herdsman and 《边寨猎归》Return from the Hunt, and as a result, received the Excellent Creative Award for his choregraphy work a total of five times in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982 and 1984 at the Shanghai Festival of Music and Dance.

Around this time, Ying also came to know the acclaimed choreographer Shu Qiao, who would become an important mentor and collaborator who guided and supported Ying’s development as a choreographer. Ying went on to become a guest choreographer for the Hong Kong Dance Company, collaborating with Shu Qiao to create dance works throughout the ’80s.

In 1986, Ying’s reputation had grown internationally and he was invited, together with Shu Qiao, to create two dance works for the Singapore Arts Festival. The result was 《长恨歌》The Song of Eternal Lament and 《睡莲》Slumbering Lily, which were greatly received by Singapore audiences. More significantly, it was during this trip that Ying discovered the growing and fertile dance scene in Singapore. He had many warm and sincere encounters with dancers in Singapore, and remembered this as a very enriching experience when he and Shu Qiao returned to Hong Kong.

Two years later, the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation invited Ying to join the corporation as a choreographer. Remembering his experience at the Singapore Arts Festival, Ying readily accepted the offer and moved to Singapore. This began a significant and fruitful association with the Singapore dance scene that would last till the end of the ’90s.

With the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, Ying choreographed for television variety shows, but it was the work he did with the various arts organisations in Singapore that he felt was most artistically rewarding. For him, his work with the corporation was entertainment, while his work outside was art. His first major dance production in Singapore since the Singapore Arts Festival, 《国殇》Guo Shang, was a stunning work that cemented his reputation as a choreographer, resulting in him becoming highly sought-after by many.

In 1991, Ying became a guest choreographer and instructor with the Theatre Arts Troupe, Singapore. The same year, he was also commissioned by Singapore Dance Theatre to create 《奔月》Moon Flight for the Singapore Festival of Dance.

From 1990 to 1996, Ying collaborated with Singapore multidisciplinary artist Tan Swie Hian for a number of productions which Tan’s poems and fables served as inspiration and important performance elements. Tan also served as set and costume designer for their collaborations, which included 《尘封》Concealed in Dust in 1990; 《古国思》Fantasy of Ancient China, 《大业》The Great Cause, and 《奔月》Moon Flight in 1991; 《两河》Two Rivers and 《两翅》Two Wings in 1992; and 《如此》Suchness in 1996.

Though Ying spent only six years in Singapore, his contribution to the Singapore dance scene was impactful and influential. In recognition of his efforts, Ying received the Cultural Medallion in 1992.

Ying began serving the Macau Arts Festival in 2000 as dance director. In 2005, Ying became the artistic director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macau. He still continues to choreograph dance productions, recently focusing on producing modern dance works.