What is Shen Yun Performing Arts?
Shen Yun Performing Arts is a premier classical Chinese dance and music company established in New York. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China.
How many cities does Shen Yun tour?
Shen Yun tours to some 150 cities around the world each year. From Tokyo to Paris, Sydney to New York, Shen Yun’s live performances garner thunderous applause and accolades from full houses everywhere.
How many times does Shen Yun perform the same performance?
From Tokyo to Paris, Sydney to New York, Shen Yun’s live performances garner thunderous applause and accolades from full houses everywhere. Some audience members drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others watch the same performance five or six times.
What is the Shen Yun company?
Shen Yun promotes itself as "a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and virtues distilled from five millennia of Chinese civilization". The company is described in promotions as reviving Chinese culture following a period of alleged "assault and destruction" under the Chinese Communist Party.
Where does Shen Yun perform?
Shen Yun is composed of seven performing arts companies, with a total of approximately 480 performers. Shen Yun has performed in front of millions and has toured more than 130 cities across Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia. Deerpark, New York, U.S....Shen YunLiteral meaningDivine euphony arts troupe8 more rows
Why can't Shen Yun perform in China?
In China, for over 60 years, the communist regime has treated traditional culture as a threat to its power and even today it will not let Shen Yun in to perform.
How long is the show Shen Yun 2022?
roughly two hoursA Shen Yun performance is roughly two hours, plus intermission. There are about 15 short dance pieces in each performance, which offer variety in terms of both pacing and style.
Where do the performers of Shen Yun live?
Shen Yun is based in New York, as a revival of traditional Chinese culture can only happen outside of China. That's because for the last 70 years, the ruling Communist Party has tried to systematically wipe out China's traditional culture and replace it with its own brand of culture.
What does Shen Yun mean in English?
the beauty of divine beings dancingShen yun, according to Shen Yun, means “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” (It can also be translated as “the rhythm of a divine spirit,” or, more simply, “God's melody.”) The Shen Yun Performing Arts organization was founded in 2006, in New York's Hudson Valley, and put on its first touring show in 2007.
Are Shen Yun dancers paid?
Profits from Shen Yun shows go towards maintaining the academy. The dance companies also, unusually, have a mixture of paid and unpaid performers, according to Hazlitt.
Is Shen Yun worth seeing?
Shen Yun is the best performance show I have seen ever! It is a must see for everyone… Absolutely recommend to everyone. The classical Chinese dances brings the stories from ancient Chinese culture on to the stage.
What is the dress code for Shen Yun?
Patrons should wear evening or business attire to the event. It can be a tuxedo or evening gown, or a suit or jacket and tie. We recommend wearing something that allows you to look and feel your best.
Are the Shen Yun dancers from China?
Most dancers are ethnic Chinese, and they mainly come from North America, Australia, Taiwan, and China. Among our artists, many already had established careers at the top of the performing arts scene in China before joining Shen Yun.
How does Shen Yun make money?
Just on the performances, Shen Yun turns a healthy profit. Advertising is where things get ugly. Based on my assumptions, Shen Yun spends over $4 million advertising each run of its show, eating up all of the $2.6 million of Performance Profits and resulting in a Net Loss of $1.4 million for each run in New York City.
Is there singing in Shen Yun?
Shen Yun singers are distinguished for using bel canto technique to sing Chinese text. This singing technique, believed to produce the most beautiful and pure tone of voice, was once used by both ancient Chinese theater and early European opera.
How much is Shen Yun?
Tickets for Shen Yun range from $80 to $180 plus applicable fees.
What is Falun Gong in China?
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a form of spiritual qigong practice that involves meditation, energy exercises, and a set of moral principles that guide practitioners' daily lives. The principles they espouse—"truthfulness, compassion, forbearance"—have been repeated by Falun Gong members.
What religion is Shen Yun?
Shen Yun is a performing arts company, not a religion. Shen Yun performances can be deeply spiritual, drawing upon China's Buddhist, Taoist, and various cultural traditions, including contemporary stories about people who practice Falun Dafa, and their courage in the face of persecution in China today.
What should you wear to Shen Yun?
Patrons should wear evening or business attire to the event. It can be a tuxedo or evening gown, or a suit or jacket and tie.
What can I expect from the performance?
You will be taken on a journey to magnificent eras in Chinese history, as well as to periods from China’s recent past. Ancient stories and legends,...
What’s the show’s format?
A Shen Yun performance is roughly two hours, plus intermission. There are about 15 short dance pieces in each performance, which offer variety in t...
What does ‘Shen Yun’ mean?
“Shen” means divine or divinity, and “Yun” means feeling or rhythm. What would it be like if beautiful beings came down from the heavens and danced...
Anything I should know before the show? Anything to read in advance?
You actually don’t need to prepare in any way. You will receive a performance program that introduces each piece and ensures that you can follow an...
I’m not Chinese—will I understand it?
Definitely. In fact, our audience makeup reflects the typical patronage of the venues where we perform. Each performance is hosted by emcees who wi...
How long is the performance?
About two hours plus intermission.
Is there a live orchestra?
Yes. Every Shen Yun performance is accompanied by a one-of-a-kind orchestra that combines Western symphonic instruments with traditional Chinese in...
Where is Shen Yun based?
Shen Yun is based in New York, as a revival of traditional Chinese culture can only happen outside of China.That’s because for the last 70 years, t...
Where are the performers from?
Most of our choreographers and composers are originally from China, while most of the dancers are ethnic Chinese from the United States, Canada, Au...
Why can’t Shen Yun perform in China?
Ironically, while Shen Yun celebrates traditional Chinese culture around the world, it cannot perform in China. Not only that, but you cannot see a...
Where is Shen Yun performing?
Notable venues include the David H. Koch Theater at New York's Lincoln Center in Manhattan; the London Coliseum in London, England; the Palais des congrès de Paris; and the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. By the conclusion of Shen Yun's 2010 performance, an estimated one million people had seen the performance worldwide.
How many performers are there in Shen Yun?
It is operated by the Falun Gong new religious movement. Shen Yun is composed of seven performing arts companies, with a total of approximately 480 performers. Shen Yun has performed in front of millions and has toured more than 130 cities across Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia.
Why was Shen Yun cancelled?
Shen Yun was scheduled to perform in Hong Kong in January 2010, but the performance was cancelled after the government of Hong Kong refused entry visas to Shen Yun's production crew. Attempts to shut down the show have also been reported by theatres and local governments in various countries including Ecuador, Ireland, Germany and Sweden.
Why is Shen Yun controversial?
Shen Yun performances have received audience and critic criticism for promoting sectarian doctrines and negative views toward evolution, atheism, and homosexuality. The group is promoted by The Epoch Times, a media outlet affiliated with Falun Gong.
What are the elements of Shen Yun?
In addition to classical Han Chinese dance, Shen Yun also includes elements of Yi, Miao, Tibetan and Mongolian dance . Shen Yun performs three core elements of classical Chinese dance: bearing (emotion, cultural and ethnic flavor), form (expressive movements and postures), and technical skill (physical techniques of jumping, flipping, and leaping).
What is Falun Gong?
The Epoch Media Group, along with Shen Yun, a dance troupe known for its ubiquitous advertising and unsettling performances, make up the outreach effort of Falun Gong, a relatively new spiritual practice that combines ancient Chinese meditative exercises, mysticism and often ultraconservative cultural worldviews.
Where is Shen Yun located?
Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by Chinese expatriate adherents of Falun Gong, and is based at Falun Gong's 427-acre (1.7 km 2) Dragon Springs compound in Deerpark, New York, near where the new religious group's leader and founder, Li Hongzhi, and many of his followers also reside.
Overview
Shen Yun Performing Arts (Chinese: 神韻藝術團, lit. "divine rhythm arts troupe") is a United States-based non-profit performing arts and entertainment company that tours internationally, producing dance performances and symphony concerts. It is operated by the Falun Gong new religious movement. Shen Yun is composed of seven performing arts companies, with a total of approximately …
History and ties to Falun Gong
In 2006, a group of expatriate Chinese Falun Gong practitioners living in North America founded Shen Yun in New York. The stated purpose of the company was to revive Chinese culture and traditions from the time before Communist rule.
In 2007, the company conducted its first tour with 90 dancers, musicians, soloists, and production staff. Early shows were titled "Chinese Spectacular", "Holiday Wonders", "Chinese New Year Sple…
Billing and promotion
Shen Yun promotes itself as "a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and virtues distilled from five millennia of Chinese civilization". The company is described in promotions as reviving Chinese culture following a period of alleged "assault and destruction" under the Chinese Communist Party. Shen Yun is heavily promoted in major cities with commercials, billboards, and brochures displayed in the streets and in businesses, as well a…
Content
Large-scale group dance is at the center of Shen Yun productions. Each touring company consists of about 40 male and female dancers, who mainly perform classical Chinese dances, making extensive use of acrobatic and tumbling techniques, forms and postures.
Shen Yun's repertoire draws on stories from Chinese history and legends, suc…
Tours
Shen Yun's seven companies tour for six months each year, performing in over 130 cities in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. Notable venues include the David H. Koch Theater at New York's Lincoln Center in Manhattan; the London Coliseum in London, England; the Palais des congrès de Paris; and the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C. By the conclusion of Shen Yun's 2010 performance, an estimated one million people had seen the perf…
Symphony orchestra
In October 2012, Shen Yun's symphony orchestra made its debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. The performance featured conductors Milen Nachev, Keng-Wei Kuo, and Antonia Joy Wilson, and the program included both classical works such as Beethoven's Egmont Overture and Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto in C Major, as well as original compositions that fuse Chinese and Western instruments.
Reception
Sarah Crompton of The Daily Telegraph wrote of a 2008 Shen Yun performance:
"This show is advertised as a Chinese spectacular - a kind of Eastern version of Cirque du Soleil. It is nothing of the kind. Acrobatics, singing and dancing skills are used in the service of a propaganda exercise on the part of Falun Gong... But what I really object to is that such a politically motivated performance is being smuggled on to stages around Europe in the name of …
Claims of interference from Chinese government
Shen Yun said that the Chinese government has attempted to stop the group from performing abroad by sending letters or e-mails to theaters in multiple countries, including Ecuador, Ireland, Germany and Sweden. According to Shen Yun, the Chinese government also attempted to cancel Shen Yun's performance in Hong Kong by rejecting the entry visas of six members.