Inspiration from Within

Jesse (center) with brother Lucas (right) and close friend Rusong (left).

I know there's been a lot of stories circulating around the internet regarding Shen Yun Performing Arts, and a lot of people don't really know what's real or not. What I know is real, at least, are the tears I shed watching a Shen Yun program before I even considered dancing as a career. What is real is the level of compassion, resilience, and honesty that make up the people around me.

However, dancing wasn't always something I enjoyed. The countless hours spent trying to stretch and make my rock-solid tendons and joints pliable are rookie memories I prefer to be stored away. But I'll always remember the first year I was invited to tour with Shen Yun. After the initial excitement of joining a troupe alongside several friends who auditioned for the practicum program with me, we couldn't have predicted what came next. For the next six months, we started each day with strength and conditioning training. And my teacher, a veteran Shen Yun principal dancer, trained right alongside me. This left a lasting impression on me to always lead by example. His level of dedication and self-discipline is something I am constantly humbled and inspired by, even to this day. Despite being a new teacher at the time, and despite having to lead our class of rookies, he managed to put us all on his back and showed us how to improve and excel every single day. And that was on top of all the additional responsibilities that came with numerous principal roles in the dance program. Day in and day out, we trained and rehearsed. And, honestly, there were times when it totally sucked. There were even times that year when I broke down in tears because I felt like I wasn’t improving fast enough. Yet I kept going.

We all keep going.

For almost 20 years, Shen Yun has sought to show the world what real Chinese culture is, and that includes heart-breaking persecution stories of Falun Gong. By performing around the world, we’re representing millions of forcefully silenced voices in China. As I grow older, I’ve come to realize that this is no longer a matter of doing something for personal career goals. Nor is it a matter of how much we get paid nor how much we want to enjoy the comforts of life. It’s a mission to unravel the chains of CCP-manifested lies that have bound this world hand and foot.

At times, dancing feels like an incredibly difficult art form. There seems to be no end to the constant training, stretching, and rehearsing. During times like these, it’s very easy to dream about a far more comfortable life. I realize that some people have left Shen Yun, perhaps in search of that. However, I think part of the beauty of this craft, or any art form in general, lies in all the years of hard work and grinding. Another part is the spirit behind our art. It is only by changing and improving ourselves from inside can we go out and truly inspire the world. The beauty and passion of Shen Yun is only made possible by letting the words Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance guide us as a moral compass in a world that, let’s face it, is often mired in anger, hate, and negativity.

Whether it be my faith, my teachers, my classmates, or even the beauty of our campus, I am literally surrounded by compassion, resilience, and inspiration. While every day is a test of my physical and mental limits, it is also a testament to how lucky I am to have this opportunity.

There's honestly no way to fully characterize my experience here at Fei Tian and Shen Yun in words. All I can say is that everyone and everything here are constant reminders to me to keep pushing, keep grinding, and most of all, keep a heart of gratitude.