Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Sobre o Shen Yun
    O espetáculo
    Novo no Shen Yun?
    Nove características do Shen Yun
    Dança clássica chinesa
    Orquestra Sinfônica
    Factsheet
    A companhia
    Nossa história
    Ao vivo no Shen Yun
    Desafios que enfrentamos
  • Artistas
  • Vídeos
  • Novidades
    Novidades
    Notícias
    Blog
    Na mídia
  • Comunicados de imprensa
  • FAQ
  • Comentários da audiência
  • Aprenda Informativo Pesquisar
    Português
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • Melayu
  • עברית
  • Norsk
  • Ingressos & Informações
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Ingressos
    Novidades
    Menu
    • Sobre o Shen Yun
      • Novo no Shen Yun? Nove características do Shen Yun Nossa história Ao vivo no Shen Yun Ficha técnica do Shen Yun Desafios que enfrentamos Dança clássica chinesa Orquestra Sinfônica
    • Artistas
    • Vídeos
    • Novidades
      • Novidades Notícias Blog Na mídia
    • Comunicados de imprensa
    • FAQ
    • Comentários da audiência
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    O que nos torna únicos?

    DESCUBRA AS NOVE CARACTERÍSTICAS
    • Aprenda
    • Inscrever-se
    • Pesquisar
    Idioma
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • Melayu
    • עברית
    • Norsk
      Notícias
      Voltar Notícias > CHUTZPAH: Exchange Student

    CHUTZPAH: Exchange Student

    BY LAURA GOLDMAN LEESHAI LEMISH’S PENCHANT FOR ASIAN STUDIES LANDED THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS GRAD IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS.

    Like us, the Chinese have a deep and varied culture that dates back 5,000 years. In 2006, Shen Yun Performing Arts was created by expatriate Chinese for the purpose of reviving and celebrating traditional Chinese art forms—and sharing them with the world. To keep them alive, the group has even established a high school in upstate New York where many cast members, who are ethnic Chinese, can study the ancient Chinese arts. Since its inception, Shen Yun, which is Chinese for “the beauty of divine beings dancing,” has been performing continuously to audiences across the country and internationally to great acclaim.
    The shows are a source of pride for local Chinese communities. Says Cindy Wang, “I have found myself connected with my cultural roots during my involvement bringing Shen Yun to Philadelphia each year. I am very proud of the rich culture of China that one can see through the presentation of Shen Yun.”

    Shen Yun has an all-Chinese cast with one notable exception—Leeshai Lemish, a US-Israeli who grew up on the Main Line in Philadelphia where he attended Lower Merion High School. Lemish, who also speaks Hebrew, fell in love with Chinese when he began studying it to fulfill a mandatory language requirement at Pomona College in California—he has a degree in Asian Studies from Pomona and a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

    Lemish, now 33, has been with Shen Yun from the beginning as an emcee, appearing throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. He and his female partner introduce each performance in Mandarin Chinese and English and guide audiences through the show, providing all the background needed to enjoy it.

    While both Jewish and Chinese cultures are 5,000 years old, ancient Chinese dances aren’t anything like our Hava Nagila. They are performed with swords, spears, parasols, fans, silk ribbons, Taoist whisks and various types of drums. The dancers wear elaborate, handmade ethnic costumes. Lemish stresses that “Shen Yun is not like a performance of the Lion King.  “Each year, the performance changes,” he points out.

    While many would describe the dances as being similar to acrobatic or gymnastic routines, Lemish corrects this notion. “Flipping, tumbling, jumping, spinning and other aerial techniques have been part of Chinese dance for over 5,000 years. Gymnastics and acrobatics borrowed from them,” he explains.

    The Shen Yun shows are accompanied by a western-style symphony and also features ancient Chinese instruments such as the erhu (Chinese violin), bamboo flute, and the pipa (Chinese lute), which Lemish describes as having a “more expressive and wide ranging tone.”

    Chinese dances re-create Chinese legends. This year, one of the dances tells the story of Mulan, which was made famous by the hit Disney movie of the same name. “Mulan was a young lady caught between two values—loyalty to her country and taking care of the old. When her father was conscripted into the army, Mulan, disguised as a man, went in his place and became a leading general. Her female identity was only discovered when someone from the government came to give her an award,” says Lemish, who believes that the Disney movie did not do justice to the ancient legend.

    Another dance will interpret the Chinese classic Journey to the West that recounts an elderly monk’s pilgrimage from China to India accompanied by a pig (a heavenly general sent down to earth) and a monkey king.  “The monkey king, which is a type of monkey endowed with magical powers, uses his powers, wit and wisdom to get himself and the monk out of sticky situations,” explains Lemish.

    Some of the magical powers of the monkey king must have rubbed off on Lemish for him to be the only non-Chinese in the show or maybe it was Jewish chutzpah!

    About Shen Yun. Upcoming US dates include the Palace in Waterbury CT, December 26-30; the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, January 2-5; the Merriam in Philadelphia, January 6-8 and the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York, January 11-15. For a complete list of tour dates, go to www.shenyunperformingarts.org (ticket finder)

    22 de dezembro de 2011

    Anterior

    Ottawa Celebrates Holidays with Chinese Dance and Music

    Próximo

    Shen Yun’s East Coast Premiere a Huge Success in Connecticut
    Mais recentes
    • Turnê de 2024 deixando fortes impressões
      Audience2024
    • Carta de agradecimento do Shen Yun ao Parlamento Europeu
      Whats New General Large2
    • Apresentando: Plataforma de Vídeo do Shen Yun
      SYZP Header En
    • A temporada Shen Yun 2024 já começou!
      SY Japan 2024tourstart
    • Fugindo para debaixo dos holofotes
      Escaping Tothe Spotlight Header EN
    • Artista em destaque: Chad Chen
      ChadChen Header DSC02842 EN Web
    • Ver ou não ver: 9 coisas para saber sobre o Shen Yun
       1
    • Shen Yun 2024 está pronto para decolar
      Thumb Web 2024cities
    • “O Estratagema”: uma ópera original do Shen Yun
      SYZP23 Diaochan 650x400ratio Thumb
    • Artista em destaque: Karina Fu
      KarinaFu Header EN
    Mais populares
    • Tudo
    • Notícias
    • Blog
    Mostrar mais
    Mostrar mais
    Mostrar mais
    Shen Yun logo golden
    Shen Yun logo golden

    Shen Yun Performing Arts é uma das principais companhias de dança e música clássica chinesa estabelecida em Nova York. Apresenta dança clássica chinesa, dança étnica e folclórica e danças com contos de história, com acompanhamento orquestral e artistas solo. Por 5.000 anos, a cultura divina floresceu na terra da China. Através da música e dança inspiradoras, o Shen Yun está revivendo essa cultura gloriosa. O Shen Yun, ou 神韻, pode ser traduzido como: “A beleza da dança dos seres divinos”.

    Sobre
  • Novo no Shen Yun?
  • Orquestra Sinfônica do Shen Yun
  • Ao vivo no Shen Yun
  • Ficha técnica do Shen Yun
  • Desafios que enfrentamos
  • Shen Yun & Espiritualidade
  • Conheça os artistas
  • Perguntas frequentes
  • Vídeos
  • RECENTES
  • Sobre o Shen Yun
  • Os artistas
  • Comentários
  • Na mídia
  • Novidades
  • Destaques
  • Notícias
  • blogs
  • Comentários
  • Na mídia
  • Aprenda
  • Dança chinesa
  • Música
  • Vocais
  • Figurinos do Shen Yun
  • Projeção digital
  • Adereços do Shen Yun
  • Contos & História
  • Shen Yun e a cultura tradicional chinesa
  • Interaja conosco:
    Siga-nos em Gan Jing World
    Assine nosso livro de visitas
    Conheça mais sobre o Shen Yun
    on nossa plataforma de streaming
    Centro de Avaliação de Proficiência em Artes
    Lembranças e coleções Premium
    Inspirada no Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Website oficial do Shen Yun Performing Arts Copyright ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Todos os direitos reservados.
    Contate-nos Termos Privacidade Mapa do site