Taiwan fire dancer lights up 'Britain's Got Talent' stage

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei (楊立微) lit up the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" Feb. 21 (U.K. time), winning approval of all four judges on the U.K. show.

The 32-year-old told the program she comes from Taiwan and hopes to perform in front of King Charles

Swallowing a tongue of fire, Yang stepped onto a firing vessel, spun it with her feet and sent sparks flying.

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 her Facebook post 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.

Speaking to CNA in a recent interview, Yang said that after being invited to perform on the TV show last year, her team, Coming True Fire Group, and another artist, her husband Lai Kuan-chih (賴寬誌), 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 U.K. 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 and volunteered to study the niche art.

The practice requires performers to lie with their feet raised for long periods, often numbing their hands and feet and causing poor circulation.

Doing the same routines from age 10 through high school, at one point Yang became disillusioned and stopped performing to work at a restaurant in Japan, nearly pursuing a degree in hospitality management.

However, while considering giving up, she attended a classmate's performance and was moved by the applause and children cheering. She burst into tears, realizing she wanted to experience those moments herself.

Yang previously took part in "Asia's Got Talent," but Simon Cowell gave her an X and the segment was not aired.

On this occasion, she set the stage on fire.

"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 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.