Tan Yuanyuan shines at anniversary gala in Shanghai

While she loves all different dance forms—whether ballet, modern, or Latin—she believes they share a common emotional core. The basic principles in ballet training apply to Latin dance as well, she added.

Now 48, Tan serves as a professor at Shanghai Theatre Academy and artistic director of Suzhou Ballet. She spoke candidly about aging as a dancer: "Physical strength, flexibility, and old injuries are part of the process." Rather than fighting time, she chooses adaptation—maintaining daily training while seeking roles suited to her current physique. "Do your best within your limits," she said. "Don't force what no longer fits—that would only leave me unsatisfied."