California Welcomes Shen Yun and 5,000 Years of History

Chinese legends come alive as the spectacular Shen Yun Performing Arts Company revives 5,000 years of ancient culture through dance and music on the grand stages of San Jose, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Sacramento.

With visually stunning choreography, exquisitely graceful and energetic dancers, and breathtaking musical talent, Shen Yun will return to California with this year’s all-new production from January 2–14.

Shen Yun showcases the world’s foremost classically-trained and award-winning dancers, accompanied by a unique orchestra that blends Chinese and Western musical traditions. A colorful animated backdrop and gorgeous handmade costumes create an unforgettable magic for mesmerized audiences.

Performing in venues like the Washington Kennedy Center, the London Coliseum, and the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, Shen Yun has touched the hearts of millions. The enchanting world of Shen Yun has educated and inspired audience members of all ages.

According to Shen Yun’s website, ‘’Classical Chinese dance has a long history of thousands of years, passed down continuously within the imperial palace and ancient Chinese theater and opera.’’

‘’With state-of-the-art graphics technology, Shen Yun’s digital-backdrop team creates vividly animated settings, extending the stage and transporting the audience to a world where heaven and earth are one,’’ the website states.

Traditional Chinese culture, one of humanity’s treasures, was nearly lost under today’s communist rule. Through music and dance, Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture to theatergoers.

‘’It was like taking a journey to China, here in New York,’’ said Donna Karan, fashion designer and the creator of DKNY. ‘’What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it. It was inspirational and educational, a performance that I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from. Singers, dancers, and musicians reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China.’’

‘’The choreography is phenomenal,’’ said Valentina Alexis, a former ballerina with the Moscow Ballet. ‘’I think it’s the best show I have ever seen. … I am very, very lucky to see this amazing and fabulous performance.’’

In Chinese, Shen Yun means ‘’the beauty of divine beings dancing.’’

The Shen Yun company stated in a press release, ‘’Chinese dance is what the Shen Yun dancers convey to the world in their gentle elegance and the most rigorous and expressive art form. Accentuating the beauty of ancient Chinese instruments amidst the grandeur of a Western symphony, Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is restoring the glorious heritage of ancient Chinese melodies, thus blazing a brand-new path in the world of classic music.’’

Some of the world’s top classical Chinese dancers took to the stage at New York’s BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center last month, and over 40 contestants vied for gold at New Tang Dynasty Television’s 6th International Classical Chinese Dance Competition.

Winners were announced at a coveted awards ceremony, which also featured a riveting, collaborative performance by past competition winners. This year’s winners included many Shen Yun artists.

‘’Most of the dancers are graduates or currently attending Feitian Academy of the Arts, where students from all over the world come to participate in unique world-class dance and music training programs while receiving a high-quality academic education,’’ said David Zhang, Community Outreach Director for the Asian Art Foundation, which is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun in the San Francisco Bay Area.

‘’Incredible effort has been put in to preserve the authenticity of the costumes, stories, and Chinese music and dance, plus countless hours of challenging physical training,’’ Zhang said.

‘’Shen Yun regularly holds auditions in New York or while on tour. Many talented musicians and dancers got inspired by Shen Yun’s mission and its stunning performance; some applied to join while Shen Yun was in town giving a performance,’’ he said. Zhang added that Shen Yun has been touring since 2007 and has grown from one touring company to four, each with about 100 people.

Fascination and delight enveloped my senses as I witnessed last year’s Shen Yun performance in San Francisco. Shen Yun is always magnificent, beautiful, and surprising as it celebrates life, history, culture, and its delicate interpretation of legends of the past.

Shen Yun will perform at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Jan 2–4, Berkeley Zellerbach Hall on Jan 6–7, San Francisco War Memorial Opera House on Jan 8–11, and Sacramento Community Center Theater on Jan 13–14. For details, please visit shenyun.com/ca or call 1–888–633–6999.

Photos courtesy of Shen Yun Performing arts.

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, not the best of ‘‘balabostas’’ her beloved beautiful Mom, Dina, was hoping for. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out.   

By Lina Broydo