Han Ly

Han Ly grew up in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island where he always participated in local musical theater camps. He knew from a young age that he loved being in front of an audience. After high school Han moved to Vancouver to attend university, and he took dance classes occasionally. It wasn’t until his sister, who danced competitive ballroom, was without a partner and asked Han to dance, that he discovered his passion for ballroom. He agreed to compete, like any wonderful brother would, and they ended up beating out the competition. After a couple of successful competitions, Han found it a bit odd to dance a passionate, sexy rumba with his sister and the pair put competitions on hiatus, so that he could focus on his fourth year of university.

Han graduated with his bachelors of business administration during the recession of 2008, and decided to give ballroom another chance while he figured out what would come next in his life. He met his current partner, Crystal Li, and the rest is history. To this day, Crystal and Han perform and compete ballroom together; they own and teach out of their studio Imperial Ballroom, and the pair have represented their country at the world games multiple times. Recently, the duo won first at the Canadian national championships, ranking first in Ballroom for all 10 dances, becoming the first British Columbians to receive this title.

Ballroom has taken Han all over the world for competition; including England, Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and throughout the United States of America and Canada. He currently trains with some of the industry’s best; most notably, Shirley Ballas, his dance mom.

Han got a taste of being in front of the camera as a principal dancer on the CW show, iZombie, and loved every minute of it. He wishes to continue to inspire audiences to dance whether it is in front of a class teaching, in front of a camera, on stage doing what he does best, or taking class to inspire and learn himself.