Dance Creation – How a Shen Yun Dance Comes to Be

September is off-season for the Shen Yun Performing Arts. On the other hand, it is the time of year when the Shen Yun Performing Arts groups are in the midst of their “first draft”. A big show is on its way come December, the peak of the winter season where everyone gathers to see yet another spectacular show by the Shen Yun performers.

The Shen Yun artists are on their toes preparing for that huge event. Choreographers coordinate with the dancers, designers, the orchestra, and everyone in general is just eager to make everything work to deliver a great upcoming performance. “First draft” – it’s that time to make mistakes and then turn them into a perfect finesse.

Creating a dance seems clear-cut: A choreographer comes up with a brilliant idea, finds a musical composer, and then creates poetic dance moves to match the music. The dancers then rehearse the piece to a MIDI recording, at the same time the orchestra learns the musical score. Meanwhile, the costume department crafts the outfits while the projection specialists design the backdrop. Yet, in this simple process, rarely does a dance presentation actually transform into reality without flaw.

At some point, elements can clash even when everything appears to come together. It’s an instance when the entire dance could easily crumble into chaos if not for the harmonious cooperation of everyone. Still, all the ups and downs in creating a dance are all taken in stride, because every phase of the process adds a layer of refinement to the beauty of a Shen Yun dance.

Jade Zhan, a dancer for the Shen Yun Performing Arts gives us a preview of how a perfect Shen Yun dance comes to be before finally hitting the stage. Hint: It is a seamless mix of hard-work and cooperation from everyone. You can read all about it here: Looking “In Medias Res” (or How a Dance Comes to Be)

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