Learning on the World Stage

For a young artist, few experiences are as formative as stepping onto a professional stage.

    

Through practicum programs offered by Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College, qualified student-artists have the opportunity to take the stage with Shen Yun Performing Arts as part of their formal education. These students engage in both standard academic study as well as arts education, and may apply to take part in Shen Yun’s seasonal touring productions while fulfilling coursework toward graduation.

It is a rare opportunity: Students are able to learn not only in the classroom and their school’s arts facilities, but also on some of the most prestigious stages. They get hands-on experience alongside seasoned professionals, in front of live audiences, and under the supervision of on-tour faculty.

For many, the practicum is a defining part of their education. It helps them understand what it takes to perform professionally as part of a world-class production, and to grow into mature, capable artists.

A Model in Performing Arts Education

    

These programs reflect a long-established principle—that talented young artists grow through serious training, mentorship, and experience in professional settings. Many leading ballet companies and orchestral institutions offer trainee, apprentice, or fellowship opportunities to help advanced students take their skills to the next level.

The practicums with Shen Yun follow this same principle while offering something especially distinctive—an opportunity to tour around the globe. This means taking their training in classical Chinese dance or music and applying those skills in the world’s leading theaters as part of a major international production.

A Cultural Mission

Shen Yun was founded with a mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through music and dance. For student-artists who participate in the practicum programs, this grand mission gives their training a deeper sense of purpose. They are not simply learning dance, music, or stagecraft; they are helping bring to life stories, virtues, and artistic traditions that were nearly lost.

Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, Fei Tian College (Cuddebackville campus), and Shen Yun are also religiously affiliated organizations. Students and performers practice the spiritual discipline of Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong), which is currently being persecuted in China. Every Shen Yun performance has a piece or two dedicated to the story of those suffering persecution in China. For many Fei Tian students—including those who escaped China or lost family members to torture—telling this story on stage is their passion and, in fact, what they find most meaningful about the practicum experience.

The Athleticism of Youth

Classical Chinese dance is one of the world’s most rigorous dance systems. Its standards for tumbling, flipping, and other specialized techniques require exceptional flexibility and explosive athleticism. It is highly comparable to elite disciplines like gymnastics, ballet, or figure skating. Like those fields, serious training typically begins young, and peak performance years are often late teens and early twenties.

    

For aspiring classical Chinese dancers, immersive professional experience during these years can be an essential part of their development.

Practicum students learn how to rehearse, perform, work within an ensemble, and meet the expectations of a major touring production—developing not only technical skills, but also life skills, responsibility, and teamwork.

A Program Rooted in Education

The practicum is offered through educational institutions that combine academic study with serious artistic training.

Fei Tian Academy of the Arts holds an absolute charter from the New York State Board of Regents and carries full registered status with the New York State Education Department. Students study standard academic subjects while also receiving intensive training in classical Chinese dance or music.

    

Fei Tian College was established under a charter from the New York State Board of Regents, authorizing it to operate postsecondary degree programs, including Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Music. The programs are registered by the New York State Education Department, and the college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The college combines robust, well-structured general education with rigorous training in dance, music, or stage production and design.

At both institutions, the programs are designed to prepare students for a wide range of future paths, whether they go on to become professional performers, teachers, choreographers, musicians, studio owners, or to pursue careers outside the arts.

For practicum students, touring with Shen Yun is an extraordinary part of their education.

Who Participates?

Shen Yun is first and foremost a professional performing arts company. Its touring members include adult dancers, musicians, singers, narrators, stage managers, production crew, and other professionals.

To participate, students must meet artistic and academic expectations, and the programs are conducted with guidance from faculty members in the arts. Student performers tour with designated practicum mentors and, for minors, with the express consent of their parents, much like students participating in other school-sponsored travel or educational programs.

Support on Tour

Life on tour is demanding, and the practicum is structured with student support in mind. The students’ meals, hotel accommodations, transportation, and other major tour-related expenses are all covered. This is in addition to all students being on full scholarships, including room and board on campus, for the duration of their studies.

Student-artists travel under adult supervision by school-designated staff who help oversee their well-being, support practicum-related activities, coordinate with teachers and school services, and supervise fulfillment of academic work while away from campus.

Tour is often a special opportunity for students to go back to perform in their hometowns and showcase their skills on stage, or for international students to meet up with parents and extended family in cities around the world.

As with any serious performing arts program, physical health is important. Shen Yun and Fei Tian staff place emphasis on proper rest, injury prevention, and access to medical care. Student-performers benefit from the same medical support as the professionals, including emergency care, physical therapy and rehabilitation, on-campus medical consultations, and arrangements with local medical providers while on tour.

An Opportunity We Are Proud Of

The Fei Tian practicum programs are a unique way Shen Yun nurtures the next generation of young artists. These allow students with exceptional talent and dedication to learn in the most direct way possible: by performing, growing, and contributing in a real professional setting.

It gives them the chance to see the world, work with outstanding mentors, and take part in a cultural and human rights mission that reaches millions.

For the students, it can be the beginning of a lifetime in the arts.