Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei (楊立微) participated in Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday last week, winning the approval of all four judges on the UK show.
The 32-year-old told the program she comes from Taiwan and hopes to perform in front of King Charles III.
Swallowing a tongue of fire, Yang stepped onto a firing vessel which was spun with her feet, and sent sparks flying.
Photo: screen grab from Yang’s Facebook page
She also handled fire fans with both hands while twisting a blazing square table with her feet during a five minute set.
Yang went viral after her performance, saying in a post on social media that she stood on the stage of Britain’s Got Talent with unprecedented courage.
“This is not just a show, but a fire fueled by years of effort,” she wrote in her post.
Photo: screen grab from Yang’s Facebook page
Yang said that after being invited to perform on the TV show last year, her team, Coming True Fire Group, and her husband, Lai Kuan-chih (賴寬誌), who is also an artist, began designing costumes, planning show plots and producing stage props.
The show covers only airfare and accommodation, so the team had to pay to transport props and fuel.
Yang said the biggest challenge during the show was the freezing British weather, which deprived her of feeling in her hands and feet.
To warm her feet, staff brought hot water in instant noodle bowls but it cooled within three minutes. “The show crew kept changing the water for me, over and over,” she said.
“Being selected means I represent Asia and Taiwan,” Yang said calling it a worthwhile challenge.
Yang started performing at 10 years old, when she attended classes at the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts. There, she discovered the beauty of water sleeves and footwork, volunteering to study the niche art.
The practice requires performers to lie with their feet raised for long periods, often causing numbing to their hands and feet as well as affecting poor circulation.
Doing the same routines from the age of 10 to the end of high school, at one point Yang became disillusioned and stopped performing, choosing to work at a restaurant in Japan and nearly pursuing a degree in hospitality management.
However, while considering giving up, she attended a classmate’s performance and was moved by the applause. She burst into tears, realizing she wanted to experience those moments herself.
Yang previously took part in Asia’s Got Talent, but head judge Simon Cowell disliked her performance and the segment was not aired.
On this occasion, her performance was a success.
“I feel like this is not just about me — it represents my crew, Coming True Fire Group and the warm flames from Taiwan,” Yang said.
She said hopes to represent Taiwan and perform around the world in the future.
“I hope the warmth of the fire from Taiwan will light up the whole world,” she added.
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