NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 16, 2022 / There are many paradoxes in life, but one that is always true is that an effortless performance requires effort.In fact, most artistic forms of expression require years and years of dedicated effort, training, and perfection to reach the final goal.
Photo Credit: Shen Yun Performing Arts
This couldn't be more true for the Shen Yun crew of professional dancers and artists. During a Shen Yun performance, the audience has undoubtedly witnessed such an experience. From the dancers to the orchestra members, everyone involved has committed countless hours of effort to deliver a spectacle worthy of captivating an audience's attention.
For all the glamour that exists on the stage, a behind-the-scenes look at the day in the life of a performer reveals a much different experience.
"Putting on this kind of production requires a lot of pieces all coming together at once. We're really grateful to have the best people working with us. They all put in tremendous effort every day, and it shows when they take the stage," said - Jingduan Yang, Local Presenter of Shen Yun Philadelphia.
Pre-Show Preparation
"Being a performer in Shen Yun is first and foremost a job. While they don't punch a clock every day, there is a lot of preparation that needs to be done before the show goes on the road," says Levi Browde, board member for Shen Yun Promotions International.
Whether the show is out on the road or back at headquarters in New York City, the performers are always training and perfecting their skills to give the best performance possible.
On days when Shen Yun isn't touring, the performers start their day early in the morning with training. Some ensemble members are known to arrive at the studio as early as 6 a.m. to warm up, stretch, and practice moves they are trying to perfect before morning training starts at 9 a.m. Once their training officially starts, they will spend hours reinforcing some basic movements of Chinese dance.
In a typical training session, the dancers will practice hundreds of kicks, spins, and foundational skills that have been passed down through ancient Chinese courts, plays, and even martial arts. Classical Chinese dance has its own tradition and draws inspiration from many aspects of Chinese culture, making it an incredibly robust tool for telling the story of China before communism.
When they've completed training, they will typically spend some time stretching. Flexibility is so important in keeping their bodies healthy and ready to perform. The dancers will spend upwards of eight minutes doing splits, both vertically and horizontally. Once they break from their morning session and return from lunch, they start tumbling practice. Tumbling is the acrobatic part of the show where dancers will do flips, handsprings, and moves we would often associate with Olympic-level gymnastics.
This can be daunting for some, but as dancer William Li explained, "It's important to have a clear mind when tumbling. If you let the fear of falling get in your head, you won't be able to do it properly, and could get injured."
After tumbling is complete, performers end the day with an evening rehearsal session where they run through scenes from the show. This is where the fun and creativity is elevated to new heights. Choreographers use this time to ensure the dancers are in sync and the actors are prepared for their Shen Yun drama dances. In addition to polishing the dance, choreographers look for opportunities to refine the acting sequences needed for Shen Yun's dance dramas. It is in these rehearsals that the spirit and creativity of Shen Yun truly takes its magnificent form.
Showtime
Shen Yun always strives to make every performance as flawless as it can be. For as hard as these dancers work during the preproduction phase of the show, they have to work equally hard once on tour.
Working in a new theater every weekend can present challenges, as every stage is different. Yet, Shen Yun performers always find a way of adapting the show to the space that they are in. If it means warming up in the lobby or expanding their spacing on stage, they will do it. It's important for these performers to not leave anything up to chance, so before the first curtain is drawn in the evening, the dancers will have already spent an entire day at the theater getting the show just right.
As Shen Yun principal dancer, Tiffany Lin explains it, "Each theater is different, and so we like to make sure that we have our blocking down in the space that we're working in. It makes the show go along so much smoother."
When they first arrive in the morning before a show, they will go through stretching warm-ups before doing a rehearsal of select programs. This helps the ensemble get used to the size of the stage and make any last-minute adjustments. After hours of rehearsal, the cast will break for lunch, group meditation, and then spend the last few hours before the show stretching and getting ready. Even though the production of the show is quite large, the crew for the show is quite small, requiring the members of the show to apply their own makeup and even help with striking the stage when the show is ready to move to a new city.
The great lengths that Shen Yun dancers go through to deliver a spectacular show is certainly impressive. When audiences see their performances, they are witnessing not only a celebration of Chinese culture but also thousands of hours of effort in action.
See the real behind-the-scenes of Shen Yun in action by watching this video.
To learn more about Shen Yun, its history, and their one-of-a-kind experiences, visit their site here.
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SOURCE: Shen Yun
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https://www.accesswire.com/693395/Behind-the-Scenes-of-Shen-Yun-Performers
