Whether silver mannequins, dancers with their faces wrapped in red fabric or a ceiling full of balloons, Arizona State University student Valkyrie Yao brings stunning visuals to her multidisciplinary artistic projects.
During her time at ASU pursuing an MFA in dance with a concentration in interdisciplinary digital media and performance from the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, Yao has been broadly recognized for her unique artistic vision.
She has been a recipient of the Outstanding Research Award by ASU Graduate Student Government, the Creative Constellation and Design and Arts Corps Grant from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, an Interdisciplinary Arts Fellowship with Ballet Arizona, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Scholarship, and the Teaching Excellence Award.
In 2024, her choreographic work was showcased at National Sawdust in New York City, and her visual and performance art pieces were presented at the Phoenix Art Museum in 2022 and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in 2023. Her short film “What’s Left” received the Best Short Film award at the Student World Impact Film Festival in 2023.
This fall, she will tour with both Dance City Festival and Diffraction Dance Festival, performing in New York at Dixon Place Theatre and The Tank NYC, in Chicago at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and in Detroit at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She has also been invited to exhibit her visual artwork at the XV Florence Biennale in Italy.
Her dance film “Insert Coin to Play” continues to gain international recognition. It was officially selected for the 32nd Beijing International Film Festival, received the New Youth Feature Film Award at the 2025 New Youth International Dance Film Festival and won Best Dance Video Art Film at the 2025 The Way Dance Video Art Exhibition.
Yao has also been invited to be an artist-in-residence with the MATCH Residency at the Los Angeles Dance Festival and the 2025 Choreographer’s Institute with McKoy Dance Project in New York City, where she will present new work at both Abrons Arts Center and the Mark Morris Dance Center.
In addition to her creative achievements, she has been nominated for the Outstanding Dance Education Researcher Award by the National Dance Education Organization and will present her research at the 2025 national conference in Detroit.
Her work combines compelling visual elements with strong dance technique in performances that leave memorable impressions on audiences.
“I’m trying to create work that can be a vessel — an open space for viewers to enter and fill with their own reflections,” she said. “Drawing from both natural and philosophical sources, my work invites the viewers to explore the unfamiliarity, allowing it to transform into embodied familiarity.”
Yao chose to pursue a master’s degree in dance from ASU because of the program’s interdisciplinary practice and community engagement.
“The program aligned perfectly with my desire to explore both choreography and visual art within a supportive yet intellectually challenging environment,” she said.
She also fell in love with the palm trees on campus.
“I was in China applying to different schools; I had no idea what I was going to experience, and I was looking at pictures on Google,” she said. “I saw the image that I see every day in front of the Memorial Union — palm trees!’
She said the symbolism of trees represents her as an artist.
“I stand as a tree, rooted in performing arts, nourished by psychology, philosophy, science, socio-politics and linguistics,” she said. “With a stem extending into visual arts, my branches reach far, exploring the complexities of humanity and using abstract narration to articulate the shared vulnerabilities and power dynamics that unite us all.”
As the only artist in her family, Yao said that studying at ASU helped her to build a community of support within the arts. It also helped expand her creative vision.
“Working with professors and peers from diverse disciplines opened up new ways of thinking and expanded my understanding of how art can live both inside and outside traditional performance spaces,” she said.
Question: Which professors made an impact during your time at ASU?
Answer: Professors like Mary Fitzgerald and LaTasha Barnes have had a profound impact — Mary through her mentorship in movement and conceptual development and LaTasha through her grounding in cultural and philosophical frameworks. I’ve also worked closely with Professor Cristobal Martinez, whose theory-based foundation has deeply shaped my approach to contemporary art. And, of course, Liz Lerman, whose guidance continues to influence my thinking and practice.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to artists?
A: Stay rooted in your truth, but remain open to transformation. Let your process guide you, not just your product. And always stay authentic, original, be humble and be stupid to the world.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: I plan to continue developing interdisciplinary projects that can go on tour internationally while expanding my teaching practice and working with cross-cultural communities. I’m currently working on a piece titled “Deluge, Undone,” which will be a part of my planned bigger project; this piece (was) featured in Spring Dance Festival 2025 at ASU.
Q: If someone gave you money to solve one problem on our planet, what would it be?
A: If I were given money to solve one problem on our planet, I would focus on alleviating hunger and protecting animals. I believe all living creatures, human and non-human, are equal and deserving of care and respect. Supporting efforts to eradicate hunger and ensuring the well-being of animals would be a step toward a more compassionate and harmonious world, where all beings can thrive.
I would also support initiatives that protect and restore spiritual and cultural practices that have been marginalized or erased due to colonization and globalization. Preserving and uplifting these wisdom traditions is essential for individual and collective healing.
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