It takes a mind of steel
and limbs of rubber.
It takes pushing the body to its limits
to know that the only limit is in our minds.
It takes repeating the same move over and over
and over again.
It takes facing your deepest fears to conquer them.
Although the journey may be long
the toughest challenges bring the greatest rewards.
You need a head devoid of doubt
and a heart full of humility.
It takes knowing that greatness isn't achieved alone
but by the spirit of the team.
It takes filling our hearts with Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance
for the outer form embodies the inner spirit.
It takes changing ourselves first, to change the world.
That takes a lot of confidence
and a lot of trying to be considerate of the audience.
You can't be afraid of
hardship
exhaustion
and heights.
Common sense.
I guess it takes a lot of patience, like a heart of steel.
resilient personality
and it takes, for being a production member for Shen Yun
you have to keep a decent cultivation state.
I need a lot of storage.
For example, here, I have one radio
one intercom
another radio here
one flashlight
and I have usually have my phone.
Charm, wit, and good looks.
I'm joking. No, that's...
I think it takes a lot of perseverance, too.
You just have to stay focused
remember the goal in your mind
and just be there 100% the whole time.
I wait until the room is empty to start humming and practicing
and when someone comes in, I pretend nothing has happened.
I try to talk to Chinese people a lot
to get that Chinese feel in me.
That's what I try to do at least.
Around a few hours before the show
I go over the entire script by myself
and then I do it really slow
make sure I can taste every single word.
I do it with feeling
out loud
against the wall
until it hurts my ears
and then it's basically show time.
Review the notes for the city
make sure you know where you're going
you know what to expect
but challenges are always there.
So to be prepared, you just want to be alert
awake, have a good mental state, and try your best.
The crucial part is that the day before
have a good Fa study, a good exercise
Fa study is important.
Generally, my job would be to coordinate
all the elements of the stage.
Make sure that the final result for the show is good
and as unified as one body as possible.
And obviously, to give the best to the performers
which is the dancers, emcees, and the singers.
And then on top of that, all the technical aspects—we do all the checks.
Try not to do it as a routine, but just be very diligent in all the checks.
You have right in front of you
my biggest challenge so far.
We had to build in this arena in Bordeaux
and it's actually one of the first times Shen Yun is performing in an arena
so everything had to be built from the ground up
including the stage, the risers, and everything.
Well, we have to accompany dancers
and all kinds of instrumentalists, singers and erhu (soloist).
Everybody has different requests and things to accommodate for
so you need to be very patient and accepting.
On stage, you need to maintain the right vocal position
while being able to emote.
I feel like this is the most challenging aspect for me.
On stage, I have to make sure that I'm super focused
and I have every word down as it's supposed to be.
I think there are no challenges
if you believe there are no challenges.
It's only hard if you believe it's hard.
That's a good answer!
It's special!
The biggest challenge, actually
that I have ever experienced in all of Shen Yun history
was in this theater when the curtain broke
a couple of minutes before the house opened.
I was speechless
I didn't know what to think
and, actually, an idea came from one of the house guys, who told us
"Why not just do it completely manual?"
"By dragging the curtain?"
We decided to just remove the whole pulley system and to pull it manually.
So, every show we have six people pulling the curtain
dragging it, literally, for the closing and the opening.
I was very stressed at that time
but one of the biggest challenges is to keep calm in times of a hardship
because if I started being very stressed out
everyone around me—it would be hectic
so I had to stay calm.
I think to be able to provide nice music
for all kinds of people, like dancers and musicians.
What helps me with improving the most, actually
is just seeing how far I can go
instead of actually setting myself an actual goal.
Because if I set myself a goal I feel like
“Oh I can't do it.”
But then if I actually say
"Ok, there are no regrets, you just live in the moment"
"100%, all the way."
and then you see how far you can go.
While on tour, I realized that each person and each department has their own hardships.
It's a reminder to not think that only you have it hard
because everybody has their own obstacles to overcome.
Ultimately, what me and my emcee partner try to do
is give off this really comforting environment.
So, essentially what it is is like
I'm talking with my emcee partner, he's talking with me
and then we're talking to the audience too.
So we're like three friends in a conversation
and it's just supposed to give a
"Oh wow, this is an interesting story!"
"Let's find out some more and then watch the next dance."
Communication is key.
I mostly work with the musicians.
I'm very grateful to them, they always help a lot.
If they were not helping, it would be very hard
for us to get the Shen Yun show up and running.
I owe them a lot.
When you actually start seeing the audience.
You see everyone, and they're so happy
and then I get so happy.
My face starts cramping.
It's just like a whole crazy thing.
And after that, we end (the show)
and then it just feels really good in the end.
I do like watching the show when it starts
and all the work from set-up
coming to life.
I guess, knowing that we're doing what we're supposed to do.
When you put a lot of effort
you put a lot of heart
and then also seeing the audience at the end when they leave.
Most of the time, you end up seeing people that leave with a very peaceful expression.
That to me, is the most rewarding part.
Well, after a show
you definitely get this feeling that you've let off some burden.
You had a responsibility, you did your best job.
When it's over, and the audience leaves
with a smile on their faces
and you are proud of what you did on stage.
That's the best feeling.
When we have tough challenges like this one, for example
to see a very beautiful final result
and to see that everything has been done to the best
being from lighting, projection, audio, all departments
and to give the best to the performers
so that they have the best foundation
to perform the best show in the world.
After you've toiled all day setting up the stage
and it's finally showtime, and the curtain rises
and you hear the audience gasp in amazement
at that moment, you feel that all the hardships you went through are worth it.
Awesome answer!
Make sure you put it in.
There was a nice story about this lady on the ferry
and we were lining up to disembark in the morning
and then one of the passengers saw us, and then she was like
and I was like, "We perform."
And then Tian Li gave her a card
and, apparently, she could speak English, she just chose not to speak
and then she was like:
"You guys, number one show in Italy."
And I was like, "Oh, thank you!"
I remember when we were performing at a city near New York
I think it was during the "Water Sleeves" dance
an elderly lady stood up
and from that point on, watched the rest of the show standing.
After the show, she turned around
I could see tears in her eyes.
She looked at me and said, "Thank you."
And she just kept repeating, "Thank you."
You just feel that what you've been doing is meaningful.
There was one time we were performing in Canada
I needed to go to the lobby after the show
to take a photo with the mayor of that city.
Everyone (in the lobby) just had a really pleased aura.
and there was one lady who came with her little kid
and she said, "You know, we chose the right show to come to."
"This was such a beautiful, such a wonderful experience. Thank you."
That really touched me.
I could feel the whole audience in that lobby had the same feeling.
That feeling was really powerful and it did move me.
I was quite touched.