Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Tentang Shen Yun
    The Performance
    Baru kepada Shen Yun?
    9 Ciri-ciri Shen Yun
    Tarian Klasik China
    Orkestra Simfoni
    Factsheet
    The Company
    Cerita Kami
    Kehidupan di Shen Yun
    Cabaran Yang Kami Hadapi
  • Artis-artis
  • Video
  • Apa yang Baru
    Apa yang Baru
    Berita
    Blog
    Dalam Media
  • Siaran Akhbar
  • Soalan Lazim
  • Ulasan Penonton
  • Belajar Surat Berita Cari
    Melayu
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • עברית
  • Norsk
  • Tiket & Info
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Tiket
    Apa yang Baru
    Menu
    • Tentang Shen Yun
      • Baru kepada Shen Yun? 9 Ciri-ciri Shen Yun Cerita Kami Kehidupan di Shen Yun Fakta tentang Shen Yun Cabaran Yang Kami Hadapi Tarian Klasik China Orkestra Simfoni
    • Artis-artis
    • Video
    • Apa yang Baru
      • Apa yang Baru Berita Blog Dalam Media
    • Siaran Akhbar
    • Soalan Lazim
    • Ulasan Penonton
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    Apa yang Membuat Kami Unik?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Belajar
    • Langgan
    • Cari
    Language
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • עברית
    • Norsk
      Berita
      Kembali Berita > Feature Article: Principal Dancer Angela Xiao

    Feature Article: Principal Dancer Angela Xiao

    Magnifissance is France and Canada's leading bilingual luxury lifestyle magazine in Chinese and English, dedicated to bridging East and West through a shared appreciation for the beauty and elegance rooted in both traditions.

    From Magnifissance’s: "Angela Xiao: Dancing With Grace and a Selfless Heart"

    The late nights, six-day intensive weeks, and six-month-long tours don’t feel like an overwhelming schedule to dancer Angela Xiao. What for many of us would be a great personal sacrifice, for her is a life well-lived.

    “I don’t like wasting time,” said Xiao, who has been dancing for ten years with the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, Shen Yun Performing Arts. Exuding a fascinating mix of bubbliness and sincerity, she said that she feels lucky to be doing something purposeful; in fact, sometimes on vacation, she doesn’t know what to do with her time.

    Xiao loves the excitement of touring—trying new foods and learning new things—but after nearly a decade of traveling all over the world, she doesn’t rely on novelty to keep her going. Rather, a big part of what keeps her on point is consciously working on her outlook to overcome those subtle negative thoughts that otherwise build up and make long-term commitments difficult.

    “I’ve had to learn to be more selfless,” she said. “When you put yourself first, it actually just causes a bunch of troubles.” Due to the nature of her art, this selflessness is also a key to improving her dance skills.

        

    Facing Her Self

    In ancient Chinese culture, there was awareness that spiritual principles were behind the workings of natural phenomenon, as well as guiding the events of a person’s life. It was held that to produce great art, artists must align themselves with spiritual principles. People of high caliber would have brightly shining spirits and transmit some of this light to others through their art. The art of someone with a negative outlook would be dark and spread unhappiness.

    For Xiao, there is very practical and tangible application of this in her art. She explained to Elite Lifestyle Magazine how, beneath the gorgeous costumes and perfectly timed moves, confident selflessness gives her dance life.

    “You can’t escape yourself,” she said. “In classical Chinese dance, you show your inner self because when dancing—you can’t hide anything. People can see your personality,” she explained.

    “Sometimes my moves are too small, and I feel like that’s connected with my personality … [So] I try to be more open,” she said.

    Expressing Feelings through Dancing

    A dancer’s emotion is also directly addressed in classical Chinese dance training, through a skill called bearing. “Bearing emphasizes internal spirit, breath, intent, personal aura, and deep emotional expression,” the Shen Yun website explains.

    Bearing is one of the more advanced skills. For Xiao, it comes more naturally to her in court dances, which are her favorites.

    She has also played a number of different character roles. Each role presents a unique challenge because she needs to understand the character’s emotions.
    She recalls one of the first roles she played—a goddess of mercy. After being cast, she felt that it was a good opportunity to cultivate greater mercy and compassion in herself.

    Other roles have required her to portray more human emotions, including ones that she would normally not experience; for example, those of a mother on her deathbed. For her to understand these feelings and give them form through her movements, it takes great empathy and letting go of her self.

        

    Cultural Inspiration

    The sparkle and grandeur of ancient Chinese court life has intrigued Xiao since she was young. Now, after a decade of performing classical Chinese dance, she’s come about as close to it as possible in the modern era.

    Xiao grew up in Canada, having moved there when she was only four years old. However, she was lucky enough to have her grandparents living with her; they kept her connected to her roots by telling her many Chinese children’s stories.

    In her teens, she read the four Chinese classic novels; her favorite is Romance of the Three Kingdoms. And she has an affinity for the poem “The Sea” written by the Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao. In it, he describes his great delight in gazing at the ocean.“It makes me feel very refreshed after reading it,” Xiao shared with Elite.

    In addition to performing with Shen Yun, Xiao has studied at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, a private school in upstate New York, where she was further immersed in traditional Chinese culture through in-depth, bilingual courses in history and Chinese language.

        

    Two of her current favorite historical characters are Emperor Taizong and his wife, Empress Zhangsun. Following his father’s death, Taizong became the second emperor of China’s Tang Dynasty—the dynasty that is considered China’s golden age. His wife then became empress and was known for her tolerance, wisdom, and personal sacrifices for the country.

    For example, when she fell ill, it was suggested that the emperor donate more money to temples so that the divine might be inclined to bless her and restore her health. But Empress Zhangsun objected to this, saying that her death would be determined her by fate and that the country’s resources should not be wasted on trying to change her destiny.

    Empress Zhangsun passed away at age 36, but before she left, she made two requests of her husband: that under no circumstance should he promote her family members who didn’t hold merit (some were profiting off their relationship to the empress) and that again, the country should not waste resources on building her a fancy tomb.

    Xiao said that she admires the empress’s intelligence and selflessness.

    “I like how she intelligently supported the country behind the scenes. She didn’t show off what she accomplished, but she contributed a lot to make the country better,” Xiao wrote in a follow up interview email.

    Ingredients for Good Collaboration

    Reflecting on the life lessons that being a part of such a close-knit group has taught her, Xiao said that it’s important to care for others and have a realistic perception of your own abilities. If you care too much about what others think of you, it makes things harder.

    When helping someone correct a mistake, it is important to always be kind. However, if it’s her own mistake, she says that it’s best to face it head-on and fix it, not letting fear get in the way. “The fear of making mistakes is a barrier. …You learn more if you’re not afraid to be wrong.”

    She also constantly strives to be humble, and to keep an open mind. “It’s always good to be humble,” she said. “You know more when you admit you don’t know something.”

    Comments
    verification

    Sebelumnya

    Photos from Tour: 1/20–2/2

    Seterusnya

    The Tale of the Humble Lantern
    Terkini
    • American Thought Leaders: PKC Menyasarkan Keluarga Penari Shen Yun
      ATL Steven Wang
    • American Thought Leaders: 7 Artis Shen Yun Dedah Rahsia Di Sebalik Kejayaan Mereka
      New ATLheader
    • Tumpuan Artis: Angelia Wang
      Angelia Header Spotlight New EN
    • Mengapa Shen Yun Tidak Dapat Membuat Persembahan di China?
      Header Logo Sy
    • Apakah Falun Dafa?
      Header Logo Sy
    Paling Popular
    • Semua
    • Berita
    • Blog
    Tunjukkan Lagi
    Tunjukkan Lagi
    Tunjukkan Lagi
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts yang ditubuhkan di New York, ialah syarikat tarian dan muzik China klasik terulung di dunia, pada tahun 2006. Ia mempersembahkan tarian klasik Cina, tarian etnik dan rakyat serta tarian berasaskan cerita, dengan iringan orkestra dan penghibur solo. Selama 5,000 tahun, budaya ketuhanan berkembang di tanah China. Melalui muzik dan tarian yang menakjubkan, Shen Yun menghidupkan semula budaya yang mulia ini. Shen Yun, atau 神韻, boleh diterjemahkan sebagai: "Keindahan makhluk syurga yang menari."

    Tentang
  • Baru kepada Shen Yun?
  • Orkestra Simfoni Shen Yun
  • Kehidupan di Shen Yun
  • Fakta tentang Shen Yun
  • Cabaran Yang Kami Hadapi
  • Shen Yun & Kerohanian
  • Temui Artis-artis
  • Soalan Lazim
  • Video
  • Terkini
  • Tentang Shen Yun
  • Artis-artis
  • Ulasan
  • Dalam Media
  • Apa yang Baru
  • Pilihan
  • Berita
  • Blog
  • Ulasan
  • Dalam Media
  • Belajar
  • Tarian China
  • Muzik
  • Muzik Vokal
  • Pakaian Shen Yun
  • Tayangan Digital
  • Props Shen Yun
  • Kisah dan Sejarah
  • Shen Yun dan Budaya Tradisional China
  • Berinteraksi dengan kami:
    Ikuti Kami di Gan Jing World
    Tandatangani Buku Pelawat Kami
    Kenali Lebih Lanjut tentang Shen Yun
    di Platform Penstriman Kami
    Pusat Penilaian Kemahiran Seni
    Barangan Mewah dan Kenang-kenangan
    Diilhamkan oleh Shen Yun
    Penari Shen Yun
    Laman Web Rasmi Seni Persembahan Shen Yun Hak Cipta ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Semua Hak Terpelihara.
    Hubungi Kami Syarat-syarat Privasi Peta laman