Shen Yun Performing Arts | Contributing writer Alison Chen's Blog

Alison Chen

Contributing writer

Mark Your Calendars for the Year of the Mouse!

Alison Chen January 10, 2020
This Chinese New Year, we bring a story of mischief and mice.
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Kick-Start to Classical Chinese Dance

Alison Chen May 18, 2016
Sideways, forward, backward, and even forward while moving backward - kicking is one of the fundamental movements of classical Chinese dance.
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The Fantabulous Fan-Shen

Alison Chen April 25, 2015
The other day, I was reading an article on our website—7 Differences Between Ballet and Classical Chinese Dance. And as I went through the section describing techniques, I realized that my... MORE
Audioblog: Cleaning Up After the Qins

Alison Chen April 22, 2014
History has it that China’s Benedict Arnold was married to a sharp-tongued she-devil. The wicked official Qin Hui and Lady Wang conspired to execute China’s greatest hero and... MORE
Photoblog: Different in Unison

Alison Chen February 14, 2014
A scholar sets out on a 1,000-mile journey with a single step. But when our group of 90 artists embarks on a 10,000-mile journey, it’s good to start off on the same foot. We have matching... MORE
Modish Manchurians

Alison Chen January 22, 2014
Do you have what it takes to be a chic, Manchurian princess?
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Kidnapped by an Ogre

Alison Chen January 5, 2014
Since joining Shen Yun, I have played various commoners who go through traumatic events. I have been bullied by thugs, menaced by tigers, survived tsunamis, avalanches, meteor attacks…... MORE
'Fish Light?'

Alison Chen September 2, 2013
"Fish light"—it’s a dancer's magic weapon. If you are unsure, it keeps you from lagging behind; if you are overconfident and venturous, it pulls you back in line. Whether you're... MORE
The Ancient Chinese Man on the Moon

Alison Chen May 6, 2013
This man left his footprints on the moon over a thousand years ago. He didn’t wear a spacesuit, navigated without a rocket ship, and had no affiliation with NASA. But despite his lack of... MORE
Soaring Over the Valley of the Sun

Alison Chen April 1, 2013
Birds of a feather flock together, but it's not every day that you see phoenixes taking flight. One of my favorite dances in this year's program is Phoenix Fairies. So when we performed two... MORE
I'm Absolutely Positive About This

Alison Chen February 14, 2013
Apparently I have something in common with a 200 lb football player.
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The Secret to Balancing Bowls

Alison Chen February 6, 2013
Have you ever been served milk tea from a bowl stacked on someone's head? Probably not... unless you've been to Mongolia. This is how Mongolians have welcomed guests for centuries, and it has... MORE
A Different Argentina

Alison Chen December 30, 2012
BOCAAAAAA! Our unusual encounter with a usual side of Argentina we don't usually get to see.

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The Beard Movement

Alison Chen December 8, 2012
No longer relegated to the realm of sports figures, the “Fear the Beard” movement has spread to the stage.

We realized this hairy situation at the recent classical... MORE
Magnetic Moments

Alison Chen August 24, 2012
I have the world in my locker—the world that I have seen. Sometimes, I visit it before stepping into the dance classroom.

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Paris: The Expected and Unexpected

Alison Chen May 5, 2012 On a boat tour down the Seine.
Hotel. Bus. Theater. Bus. Hotel. Bus. Next Hotel. That's basically what the world looks like when performance schedules are jam-packed. Fortunately, this year's... MORE
Savoring Chinese Dance

Alison Chen March 10, 2012 My favorite swimming instructor and beloved rainbow swimsuit.
I stepped into my first dance classroom when I was five. I vaguely recall skipping across the room, waving around purple ribbons... MORE
Tangled in a ‘Gun Dance’

Alison Chen February 22, 2012
Curiosity killed the cat. Luckily, no fuzzy feline friends have been in my vicinity for a while. It's not good to be nosy, but sometimes, you just have to know!
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Out of This World Experience

Alison Chen January 16, 2012
I often hear audience members saying that while watching our show, it seems as if they are actually in China, or in a land far, far away. But you don't need to be sitting in the audience to... MORE
Back to the Future Boomerang

Alison Chen July 12, 2011
Late last month, we concluded our performances at Lincoln Center. As promised, we showcased some of our Shen Yun classics, favorites from the past few seasons. The shows were a great... MORE
SOS: Save Our Shoes!

Alison Chen April 1, 2011
When it isn’t performance season, the lifespan of a pair of dance shoes is usually around a month or so. But on tour, I’m lucky if my shoes can last me a week. Every year, I smuggle... MORE
A New Christmas

Alison Chen December 26, 2010
I remember when I was little, my sister and I would jump out of bed long before anyone else was awake and race to our Christmas tree. It was decorated by almost everything imaginable, from... MORE