Shen Yun: China Before Communism

Shen Yun is coming to the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre for a short run in January 2027, with three performances over two days. The production they're touring is China Before Communism, a show built around the image of divine beings dancing that takes the audience on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. It's a wide-ranging look at the country's heritage, rather than a single story, so you'll see a lot of ground covered in one sitting.

On stage, it combines classical Chinese dance with a live East-West orchestra, so you've got a full band playing alongside the dancers rather than a recording. The costumes are a big part of the visual, and the backdrops are animated and patented, meaning the scenery shifts and changes behind the performers as the scenes move on. Together, they're aiming to revisit a time when scholars and artists sought harmony with the Tao and when divine beings walked the earth to inspire humanity.

Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas called it 'the most beautifully choreographed' thing she'd ever seen, which gives you a fair idea of where the focus lies. The dance is the main event here, and the whole thing is designed to be accessible: age guidance is 5+, so it's one you can bring the kids to. If you're going as a larger group, there's a 10% discount on every ten tickets purchased for groups of ten or more.

There are three showtimes to choose from: Tuesday 26 January at 7:00pm, and Wednesday 27 January with a 2:00pm matinee and a 7:00pm evening performance. Tickets start from £64.75.