An elite dancer must master a variety of skills, and Shindy Cai believes there is a strong connection between being a good person and excelling in their craft. Cai, along with several other dancers and musicians from Shen Yun Performing Arts, shared their experiences with The Epoch Times, highlighting the journey towards virtue and virtuosity.
Shen Yun is known as the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, with eight troupes touring globally and performing for millions at prestigious theaters. Some performers join Shen Yun in their teenage years as part of their education through Fei Tian College and Fei Tian Academy of the Arts.
The artists emphasized how their time at Shen Yun and Fei Tian shaped them as individuals. The schools are rooted in Falun Gong principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance, which influence the artistic expression of Shen Yun.
While most of Shen Yun’s program is not centered on Falun Gong, the traditional Chinese culture it embodies naturally includes spiritual elements. This spirituality is an integral part of Chinese culture, reflecting values like reverence for the divine.
The artists stressed the importance of living out these values, not just understanding them theoretically. They believe that personal growth and moral integrity are essential for their artistic expression and success. Through practicing Falun Gong, studying history, and holding themselves to high moral standards, they strive to embody these values in their work as artists. Everyone in this school practices with strong conviction, according to Zhang. She believes that performing with passion and purpose allows the audience to feel the sincerity in their act. The Shen Yun artists are inspired by the show’s mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and counter persecution. They also appreciate the emphasis on character growth and moral self-improvement at Fei Tian. The supportive environment and like-minded peers contribute to their personal and artistic development. The following content is courtesy of Shen Yun Performing Arts:
“We never feel like we have to hide things from each other, and we know that if we talk to someone about the issue, they’ll be able to give us maybe a new perspective and help us get through whatever we’re going through,” Song said.
Zhang said it helped to be around teenagers her age who acted “so righteous.”
“When you have friends your age, people around you, peers who really strive to become better people in daily life, that’s when I realized, ‘Oh, I can achieve much more in myself,’” she said.
“There are many instances of people going out of their way to help me or help others. And when I see these things, they’re like little examples in life that I can follow.”
As a religious boarding school, Fei Tian also requires a level of restraint and discipline.
Students aren’t allowed to engage in intimate relationships while living on campus. They also aren’t allowed smartphones. The schools provide phones without internet access. They can access the internet on school computers with parental filters engaged.
Some of the artists said that as teenagers they found some of the rules annoying, but came to appreciate them retrospectively.
“I spent so much more time working on my profession, on my art, or actually speaking to people and spending time with them, instead of everybody just sitting there looking at our devices,” Zhang said.
“I feel it gave me a much healthier life growing up. And also, I was able to get a lot more done. I wasted a lot less time because I didn’t have those distractions.”
Shen Yun’s impact on the audience is a great motivator, several artists noted.
“I’ve seen a lot of audience feedback,” Zhang said. “People say they went through some really, really terrible event, or they lost a family member. And through watching the show, it brought them two hours of complete peace and complete happiness, and then they just feel kind of healed after the experience.”
Wei said she values giving the audience respite with traditional moral values.
“You see stories of courage and devotion and things like that, and modern-day tales of people who are standing up for what they feel is right. Stories of good conquering evil. I feel like that’s something worth doing,” she said. Please rewrite the following sentence: “The cat chased the mouse around the house.” Please rewrite this sentence.
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