Faye Leung was the principal dancer and an icon of the Hong Kong Ballet since 2001, until she was suddenly dropped by the company last month. The 30-year-old Hong Kong Dance Award winner talks to Sarah Fung about how dancing is her life and how her career will be ruined by her former 12-year employer.

My family is from Shanghai. My dad is a writer and my mom used to be a businesswoman. She’s now enjoying life as a housewife in Hong Kong. I’m an only child.

I’m lucky to have supportive parents. A lot of Chinese children have to do what they’re told, but I’ve always been able to choose what I want to do.

My parents are not very rich, but they are satisfied with their lives. They embody the Chinese saying, “You should be satisfied with what you have right now.”

I started dancing at the age of 4. I knew I wanted to dance onstage when I first saw a ballerina. I thought they were so pretty.

Now I know that ballet is not about how pretty you look; it’s about how well you can perform the role you’re playing onstage.

I’m a typical Pisces: we’re really romantic but we have a double personality. We can also be rather dramatic. Then again, couldn’t that character apply to almost anyone?

My dismissal from the Hong Kong Ballet is the strangest thing that has ever happened in the dance world.

I don’t know why I was relieved from my duties. One thing’s for sure: it’s not about the budget. The government gives the Ballet a lot of money. I must have an explanation for why I was let go.

When I signed the termination agreement, I was in shock. My hand just moved over the paper. Now that I’ve read it over, I totally disagree with what they’ve done to me.

My career will be ruined If I don’t get an explanation. When you fire a ballerina so suddenly, people think that she did something truly unforgivable. So no company will take her.

My whole life is about ballet. I’ve had a few boyfriends, but they’ve never really worked out because of my career. I never really get a holiday—I haven’t had Christmas off in 12 years.

You never really think about having children when you’re dancing. If you get pregnant, then your career is over. Maybe if I stop dancing I’ll think about kids. My parents are always asking about grandchildren.

I would like to find someone who is mature, who can completely understand me, and stay with me, even in bad times. And they have to love dogs.

I have two dogs—one boy and one girl. I love to dress the girl up in different outfits.

My dream would be to have a real, homemade Christmas dinner with a turkey. I’ve worked every Christmas since I came to Hong Kong, performing “The Nutcracker.”

People think that the most important thing in life is money. It’s not; it’s friendship and relationships. That’s something money can’t buy.

I don’t believe that there was ever a moon landing.

I love Hong Kong’s culture. People always look so busy. They work hard, which is good. Many people call Hong Kong a small city, but if they really look, it’s not that small. We have a lot of islands and remote places, right at the end of the train line. People should explore them.

If I could change one thing about Hong Kong, I would improve the buildings. They’re too high—I’m afraid of heights! Also, they’re too close to one another.

You don’t get your privacy if you stand too close to the window.

Above everything, it’s important to be honest and to have respect. No matter what your social status, if you respect others, people will respect you back.