"Many say a woman is perfect only after motherhood. I'd have to agree because there are emotions that I understand much better now, and that enhances my performances," says the Taiwanese native, who joined the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2001. "When I first played Tana in when I was 29, they kept saying I lacked this feminine charm. But in the third run last year, everybody said I'd transformed."

The fact that Hua, now 38, received two nominations for outstanding performance by a female dancer for both roles, as Lady Meng Jiang in and Tana has further proven motherhood is a blessing.

Although her husband, Huang Lei, is also a dancer with the same company, Hua says she wouldn't want her son to follow in their footsteps because the profession is "really tough. No matter how much effort you put into it, you're always on your own as art is subjective. There is no black-and-white rule or formula to success and it takes a lot more than just hard work to succeed. I count myself as very lucky to be recognised for my devotion."

Shen Jie

Shen Jie is no stranger to the Hong Kong Dance Awards. The Hong Kong Ballet clinched the outstanding ensemble performance award in 2013 for Nacho Duato's all-male (2012), in which Shen rocked the lead role. But the 26-year-old confesses he is excited and nervous about his latest nomination, in the outstanding performance by a male dancer category, for his role as Basilio in .

" is a very challenging piece to dance and the skills required for the role of Basilio are quite demanding," says Shen. "We had to practise frantically and there were quite a few problems that we had to solve. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to play Basilio, who is a bit of a bad boy, but also very charming and charismatic."

Shen started his dance training at the Zhejiang Vocational Academy of Art when he was 11. Initially not having a clue what the art form was about, he soon grew to love dancing, so much so that he eventually made a career out of it.

After interning at the Guangzhou Dance School in 2005 and further studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2006, he joined the Hong Kong Ballet in late 2006.

"I love dancing because it gives me a great sense of freedom," Shen says. "It is very peaceful: I enjoy the process and being on the stage. If I stopped being a dancer, I'd probably teach. It'll always be something related to dancing."

As elegant as she is softly spoken, Zhang Siyuan describes herself as an introvert. So it is easy to understand why the 26-year-old found the role of Kitri in Aleksei Fadeechev and Nina Ananiashvili's production of challenging. "It's a Spanish tale, so all the characters are feisty and expressive. Kitri is my complete opposite — her saucy personality contrasts my composure," says Zhang. "So other than perfecting the dancing techniques and skills during rehearsals, I spent a lot of free time contemplating the best way to portray this character."

The fact she is up for the award for outstanding performance by a female dancer must mean the Hong Kong Ballet soloist nailed the part. Her familiarity with the work by different choreographers probably helped. The dancer says she first saw a production of it when she was still a child. In 2010, the same year she joined the Hong Kong Ballet, she brought home a silver prize for an excerpt she performed at the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria.

But for Zhang, it is the accumulated experience of playing a diverse range of roles in different productions — from and to and — that allows her to expand her technical and dramatic range. "As a dancer, it is crucial that I try different roles — as well well as doing my regular practice — in order to improve," she says.

A Hunan native who left home at the age of 10 to attend the Beijing Dance Academy, Zhang joined the National Ballet of China upon graduation in 2006. For all her (male) admirers out there, in February, she tied the knot with her boyfriend. Zhang is now looking forward to focusing on her career development in this city, knowing she has the support of her partner.

Chen Kai

Chen Kai's dance career is an unusual one. For a start, the economics graduate didn't start his professional dance training until 22. His dedication to the art form and determination meant he eventually got to dance for renowned dancer-choreographer Jin Xing. There was, of course, a lot to catch up on, but his enthusiasm got him through, even after his disastrous debut in Jin Xing Dance Theater's . At the very beginning of the performance, his prop — an emblematic scarlet fan — flew out of his hand, which "ruined the whole show", says Chen.

Instead of dwelling on that, he turned his setback into motivation to improve. His effort soon earned him scholarships to study at the Academy for Performing Arts between 2005 and 2008, before receiving an Asian Cultural Council grant to do research in New York. The year-long stint — during which he watched many shows and learned various contemporary styles from the likes of Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor and José Limón — inspired him to develop a dance language of his own. The result is an ongoing series with titles like and , each of which explores the qualities of a specific dance move.

It's his study of turning, (2014), which was staged as part of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's New Force in Motion Series, that has earned him a nomination for the outstanding achievement in choreography. Now 39, the dancer-choreographer works on a freelance basis, but hopes to start his own dance company soon.

Is there anything that Sun Gongwei can't do? Even during the photo shoot for this story the Jiangxi native was able to get into various difficult poses within a confined space. So malleable, so professional. It's not surprising that the 26-year-old has been nominated for an outstanding performance award for his vivid portrayal of Bo Ging-wan in Hong Kong Dance Company's . "This piece is demanding both mentally and physically," says Sun. "There are many new elements in and other than the scenes in which we dance with water or elastic bouncers, I pressed myself to understand and present the character's personality as much as possible."

Sun was introduced to dancing when he was nine by his uncle, who saw his potential and encouraged him to receive professional training. At 11, he entered the Beijing Dancing Academy. He came to Hong Kong in 2006 to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts before joining the Hong Kong Dance Company in 2012.

The latest Dance Awards nomination is a great motivation for him to keep pushing the boundaries, he says. "Dancing is so appealing because each work I take part in allows me to immerse myself in a time and space totally different from the one that I'm living in," says Sun. "I used to find pulling a believable character very challenging but now that I've had a taste, I want to keep trying different roles."

Hair & make-up: Mania C
Styling: Jowie Chan and Tessa Chan
All clothes courtesy of Harvey Nichols, Pacific Place; venue courtesy of the Hong Kong Fringe Club

2015 Hong Kong Dance Awards nominees

• City Contemporary Dance Company for
• Hong Kong Dance Company for
• The Hong Kong Ballet for

• Jorma Elo for
• Christine Gouzelis for
• Chen Kai for
• Anh Ngoc Nguyen for
• Dominic Wong for

• Leisure & Cultural Services Department for
• Siu Lung Fung Dance Theatre for
• Unlock Dancing Plaza for

• Li Han as Lip Fung in
• Shen Jie as Basilio in
• Sun Gongwei as Bo Ging-wan in

• Tina Hua as Lady Meng Jiang in
• Tina Hua as Tana in
• Zhang Siyuan as Kitri in

• City Contemporary Dance Company for
• The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for
• The Hong Kong Ballet for