“Just now I was praying at the side of the stage and trying to get myself in character,” Hao said, after wrapping up her performance. “I reminded myself that I was playing the mighty Mulan, and her spirit and strength supported me. Although I have been performing this role for many years, her boundless energy continues to inspire me.”

In 2016, Hao performed the lead role of Yang Guifei in the dance drama “Du Fu,” named after the famous Chinese poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Yang was the beloved consort of the Emperor Xuanzong.

Hao’s performance breathed new life into this classic tale, which has been trending online for years, gathering a billion views on social media.

Hao recalled one of Du Fu’s poems entitled “Satire on Fair Ladies,” which features the line, “There are many beautiful ladies by the water in Chang’an.”

“That poem is a portrait of life during the Tang Dynasty, but the choreography we did to portray it incorporated some modern elements. This is especially true for the court dances from the Han and Tang dynasties, which add something new.”

Hao said she took a more experimental approach to presenting the life of a court lady by focusing more on the character’s inner world.

“I wasn’t just playing a traditional lady of the court, but also a person full of beauty and charm who may have had profound thoughts of her own,” she recalled.

“I practiced my dance moves every day but also spared no effort to approach the character’s inner world. I worked really hard. Some seemingly simple moves like standing up or looking over my shoulder were actually very well-rehearsed. I polished a lot of details, such as my eyes flickering up and down,” she said.

“In a way I felt I was transcending dancing, and focusing more on how to expressively bring the character to life. I wanted to paint a rich and lively image of a court lady for our audiences to enjoy. So behind this beautiful and classical work there’s a lot of sweat, tears and toil.”

Hao’s talent may have been widely recognized, but she’s not resting on her laurels just yet.

“This job is very challenging because it requires a bit of luck and a lot of persistence. Reflecting on my career, I’ve gone through so many difficulties, but I think I’m fortunate that all of my hard work has paid off,” she said.

“I will keep moving forward with my career as a dancer. I hope I can tell more stories of famous figures from Chinese history through the power of dance,” she added. “I’m proud to be able to contribute to promoting traditional Chinese culture. And I’m not done yet.”