Yangko (a popular rural folk dance) and Gaoqiao (walking on stilts) are representative dances that combine music, dance and skill. Both of them have a long history and diversified forms.

The Yangko originated from rice planting and farming. Also, it has some connection with ancient eulogizing songs in sacrifices to the God of Farm. During its development, it incorporated much from the farming songs, Lingge (a kind of folk song), folk Wushu (martial art), acrobatics and traditional operas. At last, it became a kind of folk dance.

By the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Yangko had spread widely across the country. People divide it according to areas or its form, for example, the Drum Yangko in Shandong, the Yangko in northern Shaanxi, the local Yangko in Hebei, Beijing and Liaoning, the Manchurian Yangko and the Stilts Yangko. Other forms such as the Huagu (Flower Drum), Huadeng (Festive Lantern), Caicha (Tea-Leaf Picking) and Yingko are popular in Guangdong and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

New Yangko originated from a self-entertaining folk dance Tichangzi Yangko in northern Shaanxi. Encouraged by Mao Zedong's talk about art, professional artists started a new upsurge in Yangko learning. They filled the spirit of new times into the old Yangko. The strong rhythm, vigorous steps, free arm waves and high-spirited movements were deeply loved by common people. With the progress of the People's Liberation Army, the Liberation Yangko became very popular in the Yan'an area and later extended to Shanghai and the whole of China. In 1949, the "waist drum" by Yan'an artists stirred up the Second World Youth Festival and won the top award. The new Yangko movement of Yan'an stimulated a further blossoming of Chinese dance.