Self-taught dancer and choreographer Yang Liping takes Chinese folk stories and translates them into graceful, beautiful dance fables. She first rose to fame in the dance world in 1986 for her performance in The Spirit of the Peacock, a performance by Xishuangbanna Song and Dance Troupe, after which she was dubbed the Peacock Princess of China. Who knew that was a thing?

In the early 2000s, Liping began choreographing beautiful, widely-acclaimed pieces in which she also performed. The pieces were based upon traditional Chinese folk tales, and with them, she has toured the world. At the age of 63, she has mostly stopped dancing, but she is keeping her hand in. Liping is currently a formidable judge on So You Think You Can Dance – China.

Yang Liping doesn’t seem to have any social media, but there are plenty of her performances available on YouTube.