Published : 2026-08-04
In 1986, on the stage of the 2nd National Dance Competition in Beijing, Yang Liping (楊麗萍), a dancer from southwest China's Yunnan Province, took to the floor in a white gown, dancing to bring forth the very soul and spirit of the peacock.
That evening, the 28-year-old won First Prize for Choreography and First Place for Performance with her self-choreographed solo, Spirit of the Peacock (雀之靈）.
From that point on, Yang emerged from obscurity to embark on a legendary journey, captivating audiences with a succession of stellar stage performances.
Yang Liping's dance talent carried her from a rural village to world stage
Few people know that this "Peacock Princess", who stunned the Chinese dance world, had never attended formal training dance school. She was self-taught in dance, or perhaps it should be said that she was born with a natural talent for it.
In 1958, Yang Liping was born into a Bai ethnic family in Dali, Yunnan Province. In her childhood memories, dancing was not done in a rehearsal room in front of a mirror, but beside a bonfire, at weddings and funerals, and during breaks from tilling the fields.
As a child, she followed the adults in her family to dance around the fire, spinning, leaping, or mimicking postures such as a bird stretching its neck or a puppy shaking its head.
From a young age, she loved observing the changes in nature, for example, how a butterfly breaks out of its cocoon, drawing inspiration from this to later incorporate all kinds of observations and sensations into her dance.
Yang's innate dance talent was discovered at the age of 13, when Zhu Lanfang (朱蘭芳), the head of the Xishuangbanna Song and Dance Troupe, spotted her doing morning exercises at school.
She joined the troupe and spent eight years there, during which she travelled from village to village, learning the folk dances of dozens of ethnic groups—a rich foundation for her future artistic creations.
In 1979, she starred in the large-scale ethnic dance drama The Peacock Princess (孔雀公主), which won the First Prize for Performance in Yunnan Province, and she made a name for herself.
In 1980, she was selected by the China National Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble (中央民族歌舞團) and transferred to work in Beijing, while also studying professional dance. Yang Liping moved from a local art troupe to a national-level stage.
Yang Liping became famous through her solo piece Spirit of the Peacock
Later, Yang Liping, drawing on the knowledge she had acquired, along with her experience and understanding from living and performing in Xishuangbanna, began to try her hand at choreography.
In 1986, she created and performed the solo dance Spirit of the Peacock (雀之靈), which was a great success at a national dance competition.
Spirit of the Peacock is based on the folk dances of the Dai people (傣族). She went beyond imitating the external form, using form to seek the spirit, and successfully stood out to win two major awards.
Afterwards, she brought Spirit of the Peacock to the stage of the Spring Festival Gala of China Central Television (CCTV), causing a national sensation.
Afterwards, Yang travelled overseas to perform on numerous occasions. Her footsteps took her to places like the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Thailand, and Singapore. With over a thousand performances, her "Peacock Dance" became a vivid impression of contemporary Chinese dance for audiences worldwide.
In 1994, she received the Gold Award for the 20th-Century Chinese Classic Dance Works, in recognition of the excellence of Spirit of the Peacock.
From then on, "peacock" became synonymous with Yang Liping. From the solo dance Spirit of the Peacock to the duet Two Trees (兩棵樹), and from the dance drama Peacock (孔雀) to Winter of Peacock (孔雀之冬), she brought the peacock dance to the stage time and again, interpreting the life cycle of the peacock from spirited agility to nirvana.
Yang Liping's dance philosophy: Life needs dance
For Yang Liping, dance is her life, like air and water. Half a lifetime spent with dance, sustained by a heart of pure passion, she once said: "Dancing is the emotional outlet in my life, and it is also my respect for my own talent."
It brings her nourishment for the soul, spiritual sustenance, and also praise and applause.
She once said that life needs dance, and her life needs dance as a means of expression. Her life has never been separated from dance, and she even described it as "Others dance a dance, I dance my life".
Yang Liping's devotion to the art of dance is unwavering until death; it is the very soul integrated into her life.
The peacock dance brought Yang Liping international fame, but she never forgot her hometown of Yunnan where she grew up.
In 2002, she left the China Central Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble and returned to Yunnan. Travelling through its landscapes, and in the process of visiting many ethnic minority villages that had no contact with the outside world, she discovered that their rich and colourful traditional songs and dances were facing the predicament of being lost as the older generation passed away.
She was determined to preserve them.
In 2003, after much difficulty in raising funds and making full preparations, she created the large-scale ethnic song and dance production Yunnan Impression (雲南映像), bringing the appearance of Yunnan's ethnic minority villages to the stage.
On stage, it was not just Yang dancing alone, but a group of folk dancers from the villages. Their rugged steps, free rhythms, and genuine emotions made Yunnan Impression a vibrant masterpiece hailed as a "phenomenal" dance work in China.
Yang Liping was no longer just "performing the peacock", but was building a platform to let more figures from the mountain villages and fields be seen by the public.
Afterwards, she also choreographed and directed the large-scale Tibetan ethnic song and dance piece Tibetan Mystery (藏謎), the companion piece to Yunnan Impression titled The Sound of Yunnan (雲南的響聲), and Pingtan Impression (平潭映象), all of which received considerable positive acclaim.
Yang Liping keeps on creating at 67 and never talks about retiring
Now, 67-year-old Yang Liping remains active in stage work.
Since 2022, the new version of her classic dance drama The Peacock has been touring major cities in the Chinese Mainland, accumulating over 700 performances.
This year (2026), she is again touring the nation with the new version of Under Siege (十面埋伏), with the total number of global performances exceeding 300.
Yang Liping has no intention of stepping down or hanging up her creative boots. She is simply transitioning from dancer and creator to director and artistic supervisor.
Performing solo on stage every night is no longer the centre of her life, yet she has no desire to fade into the background. Instead, she relishes passing the torch to the next generation of dancers, sharing the true essence of dance with young performers and audiences alike.
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