His lush and gripping work has won multiple prizes in the Palm Desert Choreography Festival: The Daylight Within won second prize in 2022, and You Will Return won second prize in 2019. The latter piece made its international debut at The Achievement Exhibition of the 12th “TaoLi Cup” National Dancing Education Performance of China in 2019.

A multi-award-winning performer, Li soloed with Oregon Ballet Theatre for four years, performing lead roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, La bayadere, La sylphide, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Before moving to Oregon, he danced as a soloist with the GuangZhou Ballet of China for 11 years, and as a company member of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens for two years. His illustrious career includes work with a wide range of world-class choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Jirí Kylián, Mats Ek, Mauro Bigonzetti, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Christian Spuck, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Christopher Stowell, and Nicolo Fonte. 

In addition to his work as Executive Director and Choreographer for the Oregon International Ballet Academy (OIBA) which he co-founded in 2015 with his wife Xuan Cheng, Li is the Rehearsal Director of OBT2, Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Junior company (since 2021) and has served as a guest dance instructor at GuangZhou Arts school. Ye Li was born in An Shan, Liaoning Province of China and now resides in Portland, OR.