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        Back > What’s the show’s format?

      What’s the show’s format?

      A Shen Yun performance is roughly two hours, plus intermission. There are about 17-18 short dance pieces in each performance, which offer variety in terms of both pacing and style. Some pieces feature stories from ancient Chinese history or mythology, others from contemporary China, while still others feature dance styles and costumes from different dynasties, regions, and ethnic groups.

      A live orchestra plays original music to accompany each of the dance pieces. Bilingual emcee hosts briefly introduce each piece to provide you with helpful background so that you can appreciate the experience more fully. Interspersed between the dances are 2-3 classical vocal and instrumental solos.

      Shen Yun productions are unforgettable for their combination of music, dance, brilliant costumes, and animated backdrops—which also contain a few surprises!

      February 22, 2017

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      Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company, established in New York in 2006. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

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