Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2013

Interestingly this theater company, which represents a 5,000-year-old Chinese tradition, is based in New York City. Shen Yun says this is because “the communist regime has treated traditional Chinese values−centered on the idea of harmony between heaven and earth−as a threat to its existence.” With the storytelling of the Peking Opera and the acrobatic derring-do of the Shanghai Circus, Shen Yun is a song and dance spectacular consisting of thematic routines that tell the stories of China’s many ethnicities, regions and dynasties. Performances are delivered with brilliant costumes, digital projections and an orchestra combining both classical Western and Chinese instruments. Shen Yun literally translates as “the beauty of divine beings dancing.”

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Apr 19. Nearest stn: Ueno. Bunkyo Civic Hall, Apr 22. Nearest stn: Korakuen. Yokosuka Arts Theater, Apr 28. Nearest stn: Yokosuka. ¥5,000-20,000. www.shenyunperformingarts.org