Meet Our Leadership Team & Founder

Our Founder: The Legendary Ann Woo 胡琼君 (1942–2017)
Dancer, choreographer, playwright, executive producer, and entrepreneur, Ann Woo was a visionary leader in bringing Chinese performing arts to American audiences. She served as lead dancer and Executive Director of the Chinese Folk Dance Association (1979–1987) before founding Chinese Performing Arts of America (CPAA) in 1991.

With a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and 30 years in Silicon Valley’s tech industry—holding 9 patents—Ms. Woo uniquely bridged innovation and tradition. Under her leadership, CPAA became a mid-size arts institution serving over 25,000 annual audience members in California and over 1 million nationwide.

As CPAA’s creative director, Ms. Woo produced over two dozen original large-scale productions blending Chinese culture with modern stagecraft. Notably, Middle Kingdom – Ancient China, a $500,000 collaboration with Ballet San Jose, was acclaimed for its seamless fusion of ballet and Chinese dance. Her flagship show, Dances of China – A Journey of 5,000 Years, toured nationally to standing ovations.

In 2002, she sold personal property to launch CPAA Academy, later moving CPAA’s headquarters to a 14,000 sq. ft. arts center in West San Jose. This facility became a thriving home for CPAA’s resident youth groups and over 40 local multicultural arts organizations.

Ms. Woo’s lifetime dedication earned numerous accolades, including:

Women’s Achievement in Art – San Jose Mercury News (2002)

CREST Award – City of Cupertino (2003)

Local Asian Hero – KQED (2006)

Lifetime Achievement Award – World Arts West (2008)

Her legacy lives on through the vibrant cultural community she built and inspired.

Lihong Zhang is a board member at the Chinese Performing Arts of America (CPAA), where she previously served as Executive Director from 2017 to 2024. She assumed the role following the sudden passing of CPAA’s founder, Ann Woo, and led the organization through several pivotal moments, including the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, CPAA expanded its programs, strengthened community partnerships, and embraced new ways of delivering cultural and educational experiences.

A lifelong lover of the arts, Lihong discovered her passion at a young age through exposure to music, dance, drawing, and photography. This deep appreciation continues to fuel her commitment to promoting cultural expression and supporting the creative community.

She holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and spent over 15 years in the high-tech industry, leading teams in product development and engineering. Outside of her work, she enjoys cooking, reading, golfing, and staying engaged in the arts.

Mei J has been a dedicated member of CPAA since 2018. She deeply values CPAA’s rich cultural and artistic environment and finds great joy in dancing alongside fellow members. In 2022, she and her teammates earned the prestigious Elite Platinum Award at the Taoli World Dance Competition for their performance of a Chinese classical dance, a recognition that reflects both their skill and dedication.

Outside of the arts, Mei is also passionate about animal welfare. She enjoys volunteering her time to help dogs and cats in need, showing compassion both on and off the stage.   

Feng Han is CPAA’s Co-Executive Director of Operations. Mr. Han is a graduate of the Beijing Dance Academy and formerly served as the principal dancer and choreographer for the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, where he created some acclaimed stage productions. He has led performance tours across Canada and the United States. Since relocating to the U.S. in 1996, Mr. Han has been the Artistic Director of CPAA, where he has directed the CPAA Silicon Valley Spring Festival and choreographed a wide range of dance programs for competitions and community events. He is also the founder and Executive Director of HPAA Dance Academy, where he has led his students to earn awards in dance competitions through his dual roles as principal and choreographer.

Sabrina Kwong serves as Co-Executive Director of Outreach. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts from San José State University, a Multi-Cultural Arts Leadership Institute Alumni (MALI), and a rich artistic, design, and musical background, she brings extensive experience in arts education, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. Sabrina focuses on strategic outreach, innovative programming, and building strong community connections. She has been with CPAA for over 4 years and has up to 8 years of community service experience.

As a first-generation Chinese American, she has been inspired by her grandfather’s story of being the breadwinner of a family of 10 by singing and performing Cantonese Opera. She enjoys dancing, singing, writing poetry, and sharing space for wellness and creativity in her spare time.