While on tour, Shen Yun dancers make the best of some surprising locations for dance training. Featured below are interesting examples of how unexpected places served as a dance studio.
The Elevator
Upon checking in at the hotel, our performers take advantage of the built-in "elevated" training experience, complete with a barre, "mirror," and even an accompaniment of elevator music. Talk about taking training to the next level!
Roadside Rest Stops
Long bus rides mean our performers might be confined to bus seats for hours at a time. That's when rest stops along the highway come as much-welcomed "leg room"--literally. The exit sign's not a bad barre and sneakers will do in lieu of dance shoes for the dancers' "three hundred kicks" routine.
The Proscenium Stage
What better training ground than the theater stage? Round and round he goes--dancer Jim Chen explores the stage dimensions at Austin's Long Center with rolling circles of barrel jumps, very much in harmony with classical Chinese dance's affinity for circular motion.
Like the cycling of Yin and Yang in a tai chi symbol, or the self-repeating patterns of nature: what goes around, comes around, even for lying barrel jumps that push outward endlessly.
In Front of... A Rose?
The story behind the flower? In Jackson, Mississippi, a little girl from the audience offered a bouquet to our performers after the show. Touched by her sweetness, the dancers have each adopted a rose from the bouquet. And they're blooming beautifully!
The Cafeteria
No doubt about it, a spacious theater canteen is a very decent studio.
Within the Mindset of Persistence
Training, the refinement of artistry and the journey of excellence are not confined to a place or time. Ancient wisdom tells us: the sharpness of a blade is born from every single grind on the whetstone. At the heart of triumph is persistence, no matter where your journey takes you.
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