A scholarship recipient of the American Association for University Women and a recipient of the highest prize of the Grand Concours organized by the American Association of Teachers of French, she has participated in advanced writing and literature workshops at the Morning Star Institute and the Orange County School of the Arts. Captivated by the transcendent qualities of ballet, she writes on the evolution of the self when confronted by beauty. Zhang is a 1st Place winner of the California Dance Classics Competition, a Top 12 winner of the Youth America Grand Prix, a Top 10 winner of the Icon Dance Convention, and an invited dancer at the International Final Youth America Grand Prix.  

A Note from the Critical Dancer:

As a dancer enrolled in a pre-professional program, the technical demands of my craft have put me in an obligatory state where I must observe the musicality and the precise strategies of movement to achieve excellence in movement. Many times, these received notions have been brought forth to my performances: symmetry of gesture, subtle and consciously directed flows, and the unmarred, fluid breaking of the limbs. How often do I scrutinize these inherited ideals?

I am also captivated by painting and musical expression, intrigued by the origins of shared principles of beauty within both classical and contemporary traditions. Is beauty a matter of appearance, or something intrinsic? My reflections uncover a broader desire to engage in a philosophical evaluation of dance, exploring public perceptions of the medium and the inherent judgments we make—appraisals of beauty, grace, linearity, and the interplay of movement with theatrical and musical values.