Canadian teenager Shi Bing, who participated in the New Tang Dynasty Chinese Classical Dance Competition for the second time, has been making continuous progress during the competition. He successfully advanced from the preliminary to the semifinals, then to the finals, ultimately winning the Outstanding Award. In 2022, during his first participation in the competition, he only made it to the preliminary round. “This time, I am very happy to have reached the finals,” he said.
People often say that art knows no bounds. For Shi Bing, who is learning Chinese classical dance, he is not only exploring the art of dance but also validating this notion. He is gaining insights through practice, continuously improving himself through learning and refinement, embodying and passing on the essence of traditional culture.
The piece Shi Bing performed was titled “Passing Visitors in the Human World.” “The work tells the story of a person who helps others but is misunderstood and ultimately rejected by the person he helped. Therefore, he feels very sad,” Shi Bing explained.
“Because he is rejected, to vent his anger, he starts drinking. The whole dance is about releasing emotions. Until the end, he finally lets it all out. In the end, he basically let go, accepted everything, and continued to live happily.”
When portraying a character, Shi Bing tries to feel the taste of rejection and betrayal from those he has helped. He first immerses himself in those feelings, then starts dancing. “At that moment, I would vent my anger, strive to get into character. Finally, I relax, let go of all emotions.”
The traditional values conveyed in this piece have brought Shi Bing enlightenment. “You can only be troubled by things you care about. Sometimes, you need to let go of everything and move on with your life,” he said. “Because the past cannot be changed, but you can change the future.”
In enhancing his dance skills, Shi Bing is also dedicated to learning the unique body movements of Shen Yun, such as “leading with the body” and “hip-pelvis-leg coordination.”
“‘Leading with the body’ means you initiate movement with your body. If you need to raise your hand, you may do so in a certain way. But in Chinese traditional dance, ‘leading with the body’ means you first exert force from your body, move from here, then transfer the power of your body to the limbs. ‘Hip-pelvis-leg coordination’ follows the same principle, focusing on the lower body and legs.”
“The visual effect this technique achieves is that you stretch longer than your actual length.”
Since a young age, Shi Bing has been attending Shen Yun performances every year. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional culture. The New Tang Dynasty Dance Competition also provides students learning dance with an opportunity to showcase this culture.
For Shi Bing, participating in the competition is an opportunity for improvement. He sees that there is endless space for improvement, “I’ve only just begun learning, and this is already the third year. I still have a lot to learn.”
The process of learning dance has taught him many things. “You need to learn self-discipline. When others are not around, you must practice on your own. If others are progressing faster, you must work harder to catch up; otherwise, you can’t meet the standard on stage.”
This process is also changing him. “It has taught me humility. I need to seek out my elders or teachers, ask for their advice, get their help, and respect them. Because the help they give me is actually shaping who I am now and in the future, so I must respect them.”
He said, “Learning Chinese dance has allowed me to express myself in front of more people. Although dance is not done with words, it gives me a voice in this world. Learning classical Chinese dance has been very helpful for me.”
In his performances, Shi Bing realizes that “Chinese classical dance is more expressive, essentially speaking with the body. You can express more with facial expressions and body movements than with words, trying to depict characters and convey messages to the audience.”
Participating in such a competition and competing on stage with top dancers worldwide, Shi Bing sees it as an honor.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for growth and learning,” he said. “This is my second time participating in this biennial competition, and every time I come back, I strive to learn and improve.”
“My goal is to enhance my dance skills so that when touring with classmates, I can perform better on stage and help people understand more about Chinese traditional culture.”