The speed at which Shen Yun Performing Arts catapulted to world renown since stepping onto the performing arts scene in 2006 has sparked worldwide interest. Perhaps one of the reasons for its steady success is that the New York-based company is composed of serious artists, the kind who not only see this as a craft, but dedicate their lives to reaching the infinite heights of a form of art, and to sharing it with the world.
“All talent is given by the divine, and inspiration, too, by definition comes from the divine,” Kim said. What are muses, if not messengers of heaven? he asked, referencing a long line of works and artists that pay respect to the divine. It’s true that in classical cultures both East and West, art was for the veneration of God, and Shen Yun overtly states that it seeks to follow in that tradition.
“When you have that reverence, you can be humble, and see the bigger picture,” he said. Kim believes that with humility and hard work, blessings follow, as his own artistic journey shows.
Moved by the ancient legends, heroes, and divine beings depicted by Shen Yun’s performers, he turned to his mother and said he would join them one day. Half a dozen years later, he did.
Kim, who is Korean, was so determined to achieve his goal that he flew halfway across the world to attend a bilingual school—Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, which teaches in both English and Chinese—where he spoke neither language. Even before his acceptance was finalized, he overcame what he describes as a painfully crippling case of social anxiety in order to become the performer he knew he was meant to be.
Universal Language
Kim picked up Chinese and English soon enough, as well as the ancient language of classical Chinese dance, an art form full of cultural nuance and references that date back thousands of years.“Its expressive power is strong; it can bring to life characters. I was interested in the ancient legends, values, morals ... and I wanted to share this with other people,” Kim said.
“Reading these stories and histories, I felt a lot of emotions in the scenes when gods show something to the humans, and I really like the heroes. Sometimes, I was very touched by their unwavering heart, or when they did something that made me think, ‘I want to be like that, too.’”
People sometimes find it noteworthy that he’s Korean.
“For instance, my cousins asked me, ‘You’re Korean; why classical Chinese dance?’” he said. “The messages behind the art, the principles, values, morals—they’re universal.”
Korean culture is mostly rather traditional, he adds, and traditional cultures around the world share common values such as benevolence, propriety, and loyalty. Historically, traditional Chinese culture has also influenced many nations around present-day China, and Kim grew up with stories such as the Monkey King’s adventures, from the beloved classic “Journey to the West.”
Expanding His Range
In 2018, Kim became a principal dancer in his tour group. That also was the year he was first cast as a major antagonist in one of Shen Yun’s dances.“This was a significant turning point in my acting career, as it allowed me to break out of my comfort zone and explore new territory,” Kim said.
In the dance “The Modern Temple” from Shen Yun’s 2018 tour, Kim portrayed a character who sets out to con a temple’s devout followers and is, in effect, defeated. Far from the heroes he had long admired, this role required Kim to strengthen his acting skills.
“It proved to be an invaluable learning experience that ... helped me grow as a performer,” he said. “Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to expand my acting range.”
That stretched his acting muscles again, but also required coordinating the acting with the difficult tumbling techniques of classical Chinese dance.
“Coordinating distance and timing to match the music and sound effects of the scene required precise attention to detail,” he said. The costuming, which functions as a prop, adds another layer of complexity; in “Buffoonery,” the character suffers a disfiguring injury on stage and is cured all in the same seven minutes of the dance, requiring “careful coordination and execution” of a prosthetic prop and choreography.
Two years later, the results of that year of growth on stage were apparent. In 2020, Kim was also cast as an antagonist, this time one of Chinese history’s most notorious villains, Dong Zhuo, in the dance “The Beauty Trap.”
“[He’s] a tyrant with extreme traits,” Kim said, such as “cruelty, violence, and lack of restraint.” To prepare, he delved into historical references, practiced in front of the mirror, and received coaching from experienced choreographers and instructors. It wasn’t smooth sailing.
“Despite all the preparation, I received some constructive criticism after a dress rehearsal that my persona lacked solidity and substance, which was crucial for the role,” he said. It turned out that feedback was just the missing piece to the puzzle.
It ultimately pushed Kim to his limits, he said, and by the beginning of the tour, he had enhanced his craft to deliver an authentic performance in one of the most memorable story-based dances of the production that year.
That year’s program included some comedic vignettes as well. They were a unique experience for Kim.
“The fact that I was both the choreographer and the main role made it rather special,” he said. In the 2020 piece “The Novice Monks,” a young couple visits a Buddhist temple ahead of their wedding to offer their prayers. However, during the trip, the bride-to-be is abducted, and it’s up to a young monk to save the day.
The young monk was an involved role for Kim. The comical character is forced to disguise himself as the bride, taking on her mannerisms so as to fool her abductor, before he faces off with the villain in a dynamic showdown scene.
“I had to fluidly transition between two distinct personas—the monk and the bride—a skill I had not previously mastered,” he said.
“The dance program allowed me to bring my creative vision to life, while also teaching me the importance of attention to detail, hard work, and dedication. Overall, the experience was personally and professionally enriching.”
It was a valuable experience in performing his own choreography, another skill that Kim has cultivated during his time with Shen Yun.
Timeless Stories
Kim says he has always been interested in choreography, and his time as a student was spent creating dances for colleagues’ competition entries.As time went on, “[Shen Yun’s] artistic director encouraged me to go in this direction, and that gave me more confidence,” Kim said.
Most noteworthy, perhaps, is the story-based dance piece “Unprecedented Crime” in this year’s season. It shows the courage of people of faith in modern-day China, depicting the very real persecution of Falun Gong spiritual practitioners at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, while also showing the audience a spark of hope.
“I feel it’s important to tell people about this persecution. And it’s good for people to know. Put from a humanity perspective, you can’t not care about this,” Kim said.
Kim also practices Falun Gong, following the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. He had read many stories about the ongoing persecution in China.
“I felt thankful that I’m in a free society, but also that I want to ... let people know about this [persecution],” he said.
For the current season, Kim also choreographed a second piece, “Sacred Quest Through Vermillion Kingdom,” with Yu Yue. It is a story from the Monkey King’s tales in “Journey to the West,” the saga that formed Kim’s most memorable first impression of Shen Yun.
“The reason these ancient stories have been continually passed down for thousands of years is because they’re the best and most interesting stories,” Kim said. “Traditional values are the most important thing in creating art.”
It was these stories that compelled Kim to pursue a career in art, and in Shen Yun, he feels he has the opportunity to realize his mission.
“Because I’m touched [by these stories], I want to share this with other people, too.”
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