Shen Yun Performing Arts Brings Divine Beauty to Los Angeles

John Turner

The Chinese phrase “shen yun” can be translated to “the beauty of divine beings.” And those two words – “beautiful” and “divine” – only begin to describe the magic that is Shen Yun, the classical Chinese dance company that has performances in numerous locations around the Los Angeles area in March and April. The shows feature a massive troupe of professional dancers all trained in the art of classical Chinese dance, a full orchestra that performs original music inspired by traditional Chinese culture and an array of animated backing scenery gilded in classic Chinese style.

According to the Shen Yun website, the non-profit company’s main objective is to “revive 5,000 years of ancient Chinese culture through breathtaking music and dance.” In 2006, the site explains, a group of Chinese artists came together in New York City to practice their traditional art forms, which had for decades been discouraged by the Chinese Communist regime. Out of this original artist collective, the Shen Yun company was born. The group rehearses its annual show for about six months, then embarks on a massive worldwide tour that includes stops in virtually every major city on the globe. In addition to the dancers is the company’s Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, which combines Chinese instruments like the erhu (a traditional Chinese fiddle) with modern western elements of brass and percussion. When not performing with the dance company, the orchestra annually tours as a lone entity.

While some have criticized Shen Yun for indirectly furthering its anti-Communist stance a vast majority of reviews have one piece of praise in common: a Shen Yun performance must literally be seen to be believed. A review on Broadway World’s website of the company’s 2015 performance at L.A.’s Dolby Theatre, for example, describes 18 dance numbers that depict everything from the myth of creation to an ensemble-wide piece incorporating the creative use of chopsticks.

Shen Yun Performing Arts has performances on selected dates in March and April in Los Angeles, Long Beach, the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. For more information and tickets see this performance schedule.