The Soul of a Peacockis a female solo dance which premiered in 1986 by Yang Liping (1958- ). She created the dance herself. Composers are Zhang Pingsheng and Wang Fujian.
To see it in a simple way, theSoul of a Peacocksymbolizes a peacock in appearance. But it is obviously different from the common peacock dances of the Dai ethnic minority, whether they are spread in folk people or processed by artists. Yang named her danceSoul of a Peacockto show her pursuit for a profound meaning to the work. She imitated the peacocks' image of "standing erect against the wind", "jumping and spinning "and" flying with wings fully open", but far exceeding these basic images. She demonstrated the integration of the soul and body of a dancing "peacock".
The special movements she created herself, such as the vibration of the arms as if without bones and other tender and soft actions, give the audiences a sense of the vitality of life.
The dance won the first prize in creation and performance at the Second National Dance Competition.