Stories From the Artists
Shen Yun is home to hundreds of remarkable artists who come from around the world and varied background. These dancers, musicians, choreographers, composers, singers, emcees, and production crew are rising stars in their early twenties and veterans with decades at the top of their field. They come from the United States, China, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and many other countries. Some escaped persecution in China while others grew up speaking out about it in the West.
Here are a few examples:
Principal Dancer Piotr Huang, born and raised in Poland, is an award-winning dancer known for his impeccable techniques and refined character portrayals. On stage with Shen Yun for 15 years, he has played memorable roles like the Monkey King and been regularly featured in major media.
Principal Dancer Michelle Lian grew up watching Shen Yun in Taiwan. Her wish to become a Shen Yun dancer was so strong that her whole family moved to New York so she could study classical Chinese dance at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts. In 2013, she fulfilled her dream and has been one of the company’s bright stars ever since.
Principal Dancer William Li was born in Thailand and grew up in an artistic family. In addition to shining in principal roles with Shen Yun, he holds a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Chinese Dance from Fei Tian College in New York, and stars in the online behind-the-scenes show “The Three Musketeers.”
Principal Dancer Lillian Parker is a first-place winner of New Tang Dynasty’s International Classical Chinese Dance Competition. Born in Canada, she is one of Shen Yun’s several non-Chinese principal dancers starring in Chinese dance.
Trumpet player Jimmy Geiger, originally from South Carolina, has toured with Shen Yun around the world for over 12 years. He is an assistant professor of music at Fei Tian College and has taken the stage at Carnegie Hall and many other venerated concert halls with the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra.
Conductor Ying Chen is also Vice President of Shen Yun. She was born into a family of elite musicians in China and studied flute there. After her family began practicing Falun Gong, her brother was imprisoned in China and nearly tortured to death for his faith. In New York, Ying Chen joined Shen Yun at its inception in 2006 and has seen every stage of its growth over two decades.
When Persecution Hits Home
The story of Falun Gong and its persecution in China is intertwined with the origins of Shen Yun. It is dear to our hearts and is important for the world to know about. Among Shen Yun performers, more than 90 had been directly impacted by the persecution. Here are their stories.
Principal Dancer Hungwei Sun performs with such poise and precision that it is hard to imagine what he went through as a child. He was only six when his mother, who practices Falun Gong, was imprisoned for her faith and jailed for seven years. When she was finally released, as punishment the CCP would not allow Hungwei to attend school. Luckily, he had relatives in Taiwan and was sent there, as a 13-year-old, alone.
