Jaling Chen

Principal Dancer

Jaling Chen

Principal Dancer

BIOGRAPHY

Born in: Yunlin, Taiwan
With Shen Yun Since: 2007

Jaling Chen tied for first place in New Tang Dynasty Television’s 2014 International Classical Chinese Dance Competition (adult female division), after winning second place in 2012, third place in 2010, and third place in the junior female division in 2009. She pursued advanced studies in classical Chinese dance at the New York-based Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College.

Personally Speaking...

Chinese Name: Chen Jaling (陳佳伶 can also be spelled Jialing).
Meaning of Chinese given name: My auntie gave me this name. Jiā (佳) means good, and lín (伶) in ancient times meant someone who sings and dances, an artist.
Born in: Yunlin, Taiwan
Favorite color: Sky blue and white.
Best dance techniques: Jumping and flipping.
Favorite tour country: England and Switzerland in Europe; Japan and South Korea in Asia.
Warm-up method: Stretch, then do some fan shen techniques, then start jumping.
Favorite character to portray on stage: Lady Lin Chong. This was my first historic character, and I had to think a lot about how to portray her.
Favorite dance: Plum Blossom (2011).
Most memorable audience reaction: A few years ago, my friend watched the show in Taiwan. Afterwards, she told me she realized the meaning of life and that she wanted to help others more in the future.
Most challenging thing about tour: Treating every show as if it were my first.
Favorite drink: Mildly sweet jasmine tea.
Favorite hot drink: Hot honey water.
Movie genre: Historical, or any movie with a message or deeper meaning.
Favorite Chinese historical figure: Empress Zhangsun of the Tang Dynasty (長孫皇后). Even as empress, she treated her subjects respectfully, managed palace affairs very well, and brought up kids that weren’t her own. She also helped Emperor Tang Taizong a lot, giving him advice and helping him shoulder many responsibilities.
Hobbies: Ping-Pong and playing the erhu (a bit).
Wanted to be as a kid: Foreign ambassador or a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine.
Dream vacation: Before I joined Shen Yun, I wanted to travel the world. Now, I’d like to visit any country with my family.
Most prized possession: A favorite book.
Decisive or fickle: Fickle.
If granted one wish, it would be…: To stay in Shen Yun forever and fulfill my tasks.