“The Peacock” is a classic stage image portrayed by YANG Liping, a famous dance artist. Her works, in particular Spirit of Peacock, have convinced the audience that “she is a peacock and the peacock is her”. On her journey of art, YANG Liping never stop with satisfaction. Already looking like a peacock in shape and even in spirit, she still feels ungratified. She wants to tell a more colourful and profound story about the peacock. In 2012, she released dance drama The Peacock, which was watched by a wide audience, receiving critical acclaim upon its launch. Ten years later, the 2022 version of The Peacock, a careful revision, was rolled out with a more gorgeous look. That very year, it was premiered, staged in a brand-new stage form for 50 times on its national tour to 12 places, with tickets sold out each time, making “the peacock” all the rage across China. In 2023 and 2024, The Peacock appeared in more than 40 cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, etc., where the work was staged for over 260 times, offering a must-enjoy visual and spiritual feast to the audiences. In 2025, the dance drama The Peacock will spread its wings again to present a dreamlike dancing scene in light and shade to let life and love connected with each other.

The dance drama The Peacock shows us clearly how the “peacock”, a traditional cultural symbol of Yunnan, evolves and develops. From the folk frame peacock to the Peacock Princess, to Spirit of Peacock, to The Peacock: Winter and to the current revival version of the dance drama The Peacock, we can see YANG Liping inherit and sublimate the national culture step by step. That’s how our traditional culture is inherited and innovated, and why it will survive forever.