To be an artist in Shen Yun is to be part of a community of elite performers who are also spiritual seekers. It’s to work hard and play hard together. It’s striving toward a common goal in the face of challenges. And it’s finding deep satisfaction in a job well-done and in seeing the audience’s faces after an impeccable performance.
Our artists come from all over the world. At our HQ in New York’s Hudson Valley you will hear English, Mandarin, German, Spanish, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and other languages. The performers are also from different backgrounds: You will see accomplished veterans with decades on stage mentor students on practicum joining their first tour; American-born Chinese who grew up in suburban California work with peers who escaped persecution in the rust belt of northeastern China; and classical musicians who held principal roles in top European symphony orchestras play alongside rising stars on the Chinese erhu and pipa.
Daily life varies a lot, too. On tour, which lasts four-plus months, some days are long and tiring, going from setup to rehearsal to performance and even a load out at the end. Other days might be an afternoon-only show with an evening off, an evening-only show with much of the day off, an intense two-show day, or perhaps an off day with BBQ on the beach or a travel day with some sightseeing.
Back home, where we spend the larger portion of the year, it’s rehearsal and preparation time. The dance companies and orchestras learn and refine the new pieces for the season in conjunction with the composers and choreographers. There are dance classes, musician sectionals, all-company rehearsals, and the occasional meeting.
Student participants in Shen Yun—from the selective Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College—are back to full-time study during this season. While most of the students live on campus, which is shared with Shen Yun, professional members of the company live offsite in the towns nearby, drive to and from work every day, and have breakfast and dinner with their families.
On days off we might go to New York City, to Asian supermarkets in New Jersey, hiking or biking in the Catskills, or take our kids to a playground or their friends’ birthday parties.
While much of this is normal, we also have a few things that make us different.
The main one is that we are a spiritual community. Our company culture and our daily approach to things are guided by the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa. The practice’s principles of zhen-shan-ren (真善忍), or Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, are not just a motto but something we strive toward every day. To what degree we can achieve that is a matter of each person’s integrity, and something we each require of ourselves. It is also part of our daily schedule, and every day has time slots allotted to group meditation and study sessions.
Another difference is our environment. Life here is, for lack of better word, clean. You will almost never hear a curse word, even when someone stubs his toe. Few of us have social media accounts, and no one is spending hours on TikTok. You can leave your wallet and money sitting around or even forget it somewhere—and nothing disappears. These are just examples of how our spiritual practice is woven into our lives.
The physical environment is different, too. Our HQ is surrounded by nature, with animals, forest and lake. On one side of it, we have a large area built in ancient Tang Dynasty-style architecture. Walking through it, you can smell the cedar beams, hear the wind chimes, and instantly feel yourself transported in time.
On the other side are our state-of-the-art facilities, with dance classrooms, rehearsal halls, tumbling center, countless music practice rooms, several theaters, and a concert hall. We also have a cafeteria, café, pool and ping pong tables, basketball tournaments, movie nights, Sunday concerts, feasts and celebrations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. Rarely is one week like another.
Within a few short years of being in the company, most of our performers will have seen more of the world than people normally see in a lifetime, often having traveled to and performed in five continents. And while we don’t always have enough time, we do go exploring local sites when we can, including plenty of shopping and lots of good restaurants.
Being a part of Shen Yun is not for everyone. And while people do come and go, most people here will tell you that life at Shen Yun may not always be easy, but is meaningful and deeply fulfilling.