Quite a few of Liu's works are based on classical literature or opera. For example, during some spare time on a flight home from abroad, she was inspired to choreograph "Fisherman's Song" by the Tang dynasty poet Zhang Zhihe.
她的好些作品從古典文學或戲曲取材，如唐朝詩人張志和的「漁歌子」是她在出國巡迴歸程的飛機上，小憩時構思成譜。