From the Yellow Emperor of antiquity to the splendour of the Tang Dynasty all the way to the exquisite elegance of the Qing, China’s last dynasty, the lineage of Chinese civilization runs 5,000 years deep.
This long history is brimming with heroes real and imagined, their legacy preserved in tales of courage and sacrifice, integrity and loyalty, compassion, and virtue.
Shen Yun brings these stories to life through live orchestral music and dance in a performance like no other, and B.C. theatregoers will be delighted to learn that the much-loved show is returning to Vancouver this spring as part of its 2024 global tour.
New York-based Shen Yun brings audiences the beauty of China before the Communist Party took power in 1949—an event that resulted in the destruction of much of the country’s age-old traditions and spiritual heritage through campaigns like the Cultural Revolution. The performance also includes some pieces set in modern-day China.
Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese dancers, choreographers, and musicians in the United States who set about reviving the authentic artistic traditions of China’s rich culture and history and bringing it to audiences around the world.
At the heart of the performance is classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form that was enriched and refined down through the dynasties to become one of the world’s most comprehensive dance systems. With its flips, leaps, tumbles, and gentle elegance, it is both athletic and graceful. Shen Yun also presents traditional ethnic and folk dances.
Enhancing the dances are the colourful costumes, which are true to traditional aesthetics and styles. Their vibrant hues and exquisite detail breathe fresh life into every dance piece, painting the present with the splendour of the past. Shen Yun’s costumes bring back the styles of China’s different dynasties, regions, and ethnic groups.
Another highlight is the live “East-West” orchestra—the first in the world to permanently combine classical Western and Eastern instruments. Ancient Chinese instruments such as the erhu and the pipa lead the melody on top of a full orchestra of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass. Shen Yun’s all-original compositions have won the praise of award-winning musicians and critics alike.
One of the most unique features of Shen Yun is its immersive animated backdrops which extend the stage, transporting audiences to another place and time. This digital projection creates seamless interaction between projection and the performers onstage, allowing storytelling without limits.
Shen Yun’s solo singers, accompanied by piano, are distinguished by the unparalleled ability to sing Chinese text using the traditional bel canto technique.
‘A Feast for the Eyes’
Shen Yun’s tour of Canada in 2023 drew many appreciative comments from audience members.
“On the aesthetic level, it was such a feast for the eyes how you had not only the dance, but you also had the music. You had the singing, and I have to say, as a part-time dancer, the movements were so fluid,” said Maria Marchyshyn, a political analyst who attended the show at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
“It was just done so, so professionally that I was simply immersed—I was completely immersed in this wonderful experience. It was a very educational experience. It was a very cultural experience, but it [also] really touched me on different levels, mind, body and soul.”
Michelle Doran, painter and poet who also saw the show in Toronto, said Shen Yun is “in touch with the past on a wave to the future.”
“I cried from joy,” she said. “I just find beauty touching when it comes from the heart. And it’s a transcendent beauty. There was newness and freshness but still something ancient, and that was a beautiful mix.”
Film composer Christopher Xiao, who saw the performance in Vancouver, said Shen Yun is doing something noble in reviving traditional Chinese culture through the arts.
“I think it’s about time somebody out there makes an effort to try and revitalize and keep what’s going on in Chinese culture,” he said. “And it’s really nice to watch them retell some of the classic stories that inspired me as a child [and] infused me with traditional Chinese values. I think it was an excellent show.”
Shen Yun will play eight shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver from March 20–25, 2024.
Round-trip shuttle service is available for matinee shows from Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, Tsawwassen Mills, Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and White Rock. For more information on the shuttle service and to buy tickets, please visit https://www.shenyun.com/vancouver
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