Taiwan's 'queen of ballroom dance' dies at 44 while awaiting heart transplant

台灣國標舞皇后去世，享年44歲

Top ballroom dancer Serena Liu fell into coma after heart valve repair surgery in February


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's ballroom dancing queen Serena Liu (劉真) was pronounced dead at a Taipei hospital late Sunday night (March 22) after waiting 45 days for a heart transplant.

Liu, 44, graduated from a top university, but at 23 she declined a job offer from a foreign bank to pursue her passion for ballroom dancing. She quickly won national acclaim for performing with well-known entertainers and became an ambassador for several top brands.

The dancer-turned-coach and talk show host is said to have had surgery to repair her heart valve on February 7 after her underlying condition was discovered. She fell into a coma after the surgery and has since then lived with the support of a ventricular assist device while awaiting a heart transplant at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Liu had another surgery this month for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. The hospital confirmed on Monday (March 23) that she had passed away on Sunday evening.

Serena Liu left behind her husband Shin Lung (辛龍), a famous actor, singer, and producer, and a 4-year-old daughter.