Born in Taiwan, Tsai-Wei Tien studied dance at the Taipei National University of the Arts before receiving a DAAD scholarship to continue at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. Joining the ensemble of the Folkwang Tanzstudio, she also worked with renowned choreograhers such as Emanuel Gat, Johannes Wieland, David Hernandez and Henrietta Horn.
Tien became a permanent member of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch in August 2015. She has since danced in 20 pieces by Pina Bausch and works by Dimitris Papaioannou, Richard Siegal, Francois Chaignaud & Cecilia Bengolea. Her collaborative projects with her own company Peculiar Man take place internationally, with a particular interest in working with artists from Taiwan, and have earned awards at dance festivals worldwide.