Yanchen Dolma was born in Manali, India and but lived a big part of her growing up days in Darjeeling, where she got her initial education. She joined TIPA in 1978, where she specialized in the folk and traditional songs and dances of the three regions of Tibet. Yanchen also learnt to perform in Lhamo- the Tibetan Opera and performed with the TIPA troupe on their tours in India in 1981, 82 and 83.

In 1984, Yanchen arrived in Montreal and soon after joined the collective. She is one of the more active dancers and has performed on various occasions in Canada and the United States. One of her memorable performances has been to perform in Ottawa last year when Dalai Lama visited Canada. Yanchen's other interest is food and presently is a master chef in the Tibetan restaurant 'Om'.