Artist Spotlight: Kenji Kobayashi

Kenji Kobayashi

Born in Tokyo, Japan

Performing with Shen Yun since 2010

“To give others hope and joy—that is the deepest meaning of my life.
Great art awakens kindness, faith, and reverence for something higher than ourselves.
Twenty years ago, Shen Yun inspired me.
Today, I stand on this stage, continuing that inspiration and sharing it with the world.”

When did you first become interested in dance?
In 2006, when I was nine years old—I watched a Shen Yun performance in Japan for the first time, and I was completely blown away by the dancers on stage. I still remember the piece Mongolian Grasslands. I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterward, especially one of the dance movements. When I got home, I would keep performing that move for my mom every day. Later, I found out it was a Chinese dance technique called “circle jump.” From that day on, I dreamt of becoming a performer like them.

Another reason is that, even though I was young, I understood that Shen Yun reveals the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong. My grandmother had been illegally detained in a labor camp by the CCP when I was a child. To help rescue her, I handed out flyers and told many people about it, hoping everyone could understand what was really happening.

What do you like most about performing on stage?
At first, it was that feeling you get when your hard work is recognized—that made everything worthwhile. Performing is really about giving to the audience, and their response means a lot to us as artists. But over time, I also came to truly enjoy the process just as much—rehearsing and refining something, and then finally presenting it on stage. I love being on stage, especially when portraying layered and complex characters. I really enjoy exploring their emotions and embodying them.

Did you ever have stage fright or a scary moment on stage?
When I first started dancing, yes, I would get nervous. Later, when I became more confident in my dancing, I started feeling less nervous. But back then, I was also a bit arrogant and didn’t realize how vast the world of art truly is. After reaching a few bottlenecks in my dance career, I slowly came to recognize how small I was and began to develop a sense of respect toward the world of stage performance. Now, I both enjoy and respect the stage… I guess that’s the balance.

With over 100 shows most seasons, how do you keep it fresh and maintain a high artistic standard?
Every show, I tell myself to dance better than I did the previous show because there’s always something to improve. You only feel tired when you get complacent. But art has no limits. If your heart stays curious, you’ll always find something new. Of course, there are times you hit a plateau, but perseverance is essential.

I’ve also thought about how each show is a new audience. Ideally, I’d perform every show like it’s the first. But realistically, you can’t always see the audience clearly, and things can feel repetitive. So you have to find motivation from within to bring each performance to life.

What do you think has been the highlight of your dance career so far?
Everything with Shen Yun—being able to tour around the world with the company, meeting people from different places, experiencing new cultures, cuisines, and breathtaking landscapes! I also love photography, especially taking photos of famous mountains, rivers, and historic sites.

What role does Falun Dafa play in your life and training?
It’s my guiding principle—it’s my compass. In daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in emotions, to chase outcomes, to doubt yourself, to complain or blame others. Without Falun Dafa’s teachings, I honestly don’t think I’d be a good person.

Spiritual practice helps me let go of ego or, to be more honest, to at least walk the path toward letting go of ego. It keeps me from getting lost in the pursuit of fame or gain or living for emotional satisfaction. Sometimes I do lose my way, but the teachings always help me return to the right path, instead of following negative thoughts.

So, I’d say Falun Dafa is extremely important to me. In life and in dance, it keeps me rational and kind, always striving to be a better version of myself. I’m also very grateful to be surrounded by colleagues, students, and teachers who share the same values. Conflicts can happen anywhere, but my spiritual practice reminds me to look inward rather than blame others.

Is life at Shen Yun demanding?
Yes, Shen Yun has very high standards—for both dance and moral character—and the standards keep rising, which is how we continue improving. Art is limitless; if you don’t progress, you fall behind.

Each new generation of performers is even more talented than the last, which definitely brings pressure, but it also pushes me to grow artistically.

I’ve experienced many phases. At first, dance was really hard. Later, seeing results gave me motivation. But eventually, I got stuck. My outlook on life needed a change. When my outlook expanded, an entirely new world opened up. Every phase has its challenges, and often the hardest battles are within yourself. For me, the lesson has been to give my best without obsessing over results.

What makes classical Chinese dance unique?
Classical Chinese dance has a deep historical and cultural foundation, and incredible expressive potential. It’s vast and profound. It includes acting, bearing (shen-yun), movements and postures (shen-fa), and technical skills like flips and jumps. These are all essential to classical Chinese dance. It’s an exceptionally rich art form.

How do you center yourself before a show? How do you relax after?
Before the show, I just make sure I’m warmed up well, I’m in my best mental state, and I adjust to however my body feels that day. After performing, I love taking a hot bath to relax both mentally and physically.

What’s your favorite hobby or pastime, and why?
I love photography, writing poetry, and cooking. When I’m moved by a beautiful scene or experience, I like writing poetry. It’s my way of talking to myself and capturing my emotions. Even if my writing isn’t very good, it’s still a way to express feelings. There was a time when I wrote over a hundred poems a year.

Photography, I just love it. No particular reason why.

Recently, I’ve especially fallen in love with cooking. It’s incredibly relaxing, so rewarding, and I’ve learned so much. I cook Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisine.

In a way, cooking, photography, and dance are similar: You create something, realize it’s different from what you imagined, then study why, experiment again, and learn from it.

What is one unexpected difficulty of being on tour?
Definitely the long bus rides.

What’s your favorite place to visit on tour, and why?
Japan! Japan! Japan! I haven’t performed there in a long time, but I hope to soon.

What’s the most memorable character you’ve performed?
Zhao Yun in Riding Alone to the Rescue. It’s a very expressive and complicated role, full of dramatic ups and downs. It’s a role that’s very rewarding to perform, but also exhausting. Zhao Yun is loyal, brave, intelligent, and selfless. All these traits, including his sacrifice and devotion, truly moved me.

What do you think is the highest level of dance?
In terms of technical skills, it’s what we call shen-dai-shou (“the body leads the hands”) and kua-dai-tui (“the hips lead the legs”).

Once technical ability reaches a certain level, what matters most is cultural depth and what you have inside. It begins with the performer’s self-cultivation; that’s the most important thing. Artistic refinement lies in how you use your movements and subtleties of expression to make the audience experience something unforgettable. That unique quality, that inner feeling, is what others can’t imitate.

If you could sit down with a younger version of yourself, when you were just starting out as an artist, what would you tell him?
Work harder, even harder. Be humble and don’t complain—just do it.