Jessica Jone - Principal and Artistic Director

Jessica Jone is a second-generation dance artist and educator whose career spans more than thirty-five years. Born in Vancouver, she began her early training under the guidance of her mother, Lorita Leung, a pioneer of Chinese dance in North America. Jessica later pursued professional studies in Chinese Classical and Folk Dance at the Beijing Dance Academy and the Guangdong Dance School in China, and is also a graduate of the Contemporary Dance program at Simon Fraser University’s School for Contemporary Arts.

As a professional dancer, Jessica has received numerous awards for both performance and choreography. Her accolades include the Chairman’s Award at the Fourth Tao Li Competition in Beijing, as well as multiple honours at the North American Chinese Dance Competition, including Highest Overall Score, Most Promising Dancer, and two Best Choreography Awards.

In the field of contemporary dance, Jessica co-founded the cross-cultural dance company Moving Dragon with her husband, Chengxin Wei. The company brought together Chinese and Western contemporary dance practices, producing original full-length works such as Triaspora and LuminUs. These works toured nationally, with performances at venues including the CanAsian Dance Festival in Toronto and Canada’s National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

Jessica is the first in North America to hold full certification to teach Levels 1–13 of the Chinese Dance Graded Examination syllabus. Under her dedicated leadership, her students have achieved outstanding results at major competitions, including top overall awards at the Taoli World Dance Competition and the GDC International Youth Dance Competition. In 2011, Jessica became Canada’s first Senior Instructor certified in the Beijing Dance Academy Chinese Dance Graded Examination Syllabus. Since then, she has trained dozens of teachers across Canada, supporting them in achieving official syllabus teaching qualifications. She is widely respected for her warm teaching style and her generosity in sharing knowledge and experience.

As a senior Chinese dance educator, Jessica extends her expertise beyond LLDA to the broader dance community. She has led masterclasses and workshops for numerous organizations, including the American Chinese Arts Society in Boston, Simon Fraser University, the Dancers Transition Resource Centre, the Canadian Dance Teachers Association, Goh Ballet Academy, Surrey Festival of Dance, The Dance Centre, as well as Vancouver and Richmond school districts and the BC Dance Educators Association. With deep knowledge of both Chinese and Western dance traditions, Jessica serves as a cultural bridge, helping students of diverse backgrounds develop a meaningful understanding and appreciation of Chinese dance.

In 2012, Jessica honoured as a Remarkable Women in the field of arts and culture by the City of Vancouver’s Parks and Recreation Board, and in 2015, she received the Outstanding Chinese Canadian Woman Award. Today, she continues to uphold her mother’s legacy while leading the Lorita Leung Dance Academy to new artistic heights.

Artistic Vision

Jessica’s artistic vision is rooted in the belief that dance is both a cultural inheritance and a living, evolving art form. She is committed to preserving the integrity and depth of traditional Chinese dance while fostering innovation through thoughtful integration with contemporary practices. Through her work, she seeks to cultivate not only technical excellence, but also artistry, cultural awareness, and emotional authenticity in her students. Jessica envisions LLDA as a space where tradition and creativity coexist—where dancers are empowered to honour their heritage, explore their individual voice, and connect meaningfully with diverse audiences in an increasingly global artistic landscape.