Name: Shen Yun
Start: 2024-05-03T19:30:00-04:00
End: 2024-05-03T21:45:00-04:00
Location: Mahaffey Theater

Tickets for this performance go on sale to the public on Friday, November 10 at 10am. Interested in reserving your seats before the public? Members of Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts have access to an exclusive presale starting Wednesday, November 8 at 10am. Call (727) 300-2000 to reserve your seats and to learn more about the perks of membership!
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Every year, Shen Yun unveils an entirely new lineup of dances, musical scores, and songs. At the core of Shen Yun’s performances is a series of short dance numbers, each about five-minutes long. These range in style from classical Chinese dance and story-based dance to China’s diverse ethnic and folk dance forms.
In a collection of short pieces, the audience travels from legends of the culture’s creation eons ago to stories of compassion and courage in China today; from snowy mountaintops to vast, boundless grasslands; and from celestial palaces in the highest heavens down to the dusty plateaus of the Middle Kingdom.
Large animated backdrops, projected behind the dancers, extend the stage and transport the audience to another world. These grand images are dynamic and involve unique interaction with stage—a patented innovation that has inspired Hollywood and catches seasoned theatergoers by surprise.
The Shen Yun Orchestra accompanies every dance performance, masterfully blending two of the world’s greatest classical music traditions. Ancient Chinese instruments lead the melody on top of a full Western orchestra, creating an enchanting new sound.
Shen Yun’s vocalists, renowned for their ability to sing bel canto style in Chinese, perform piano-accompanied solos. Another regular favorite is the solo performance on the two-stringed erhu, with its stirring notes reminiscent of the human voice.
Throughout the performance, dancers are adorned by hundreds of exquisitely handcrafted costumes whose origins span China’s dynasties, regions, and ethnic groups.
Each piece is briefly presented by two bilingual emcees, who guide the audience through this foreign journey and add insight and a touch of humor to the Shen Yun experience.
With a 15-minute intermission, the entire performance runs just over two hours.