Shen Yun performed in Newark, New Jersey for 7 days with 10 performances from April 26 to May 4.
Its uplifting display of traditional Chinese music and dance has attracted many artists.
“It was beautiful. It was amazing. I’m a really big fan of the journey west, so as soon as I saw they had the bit with the monkey king and everything, I was like ‘yes, this is it,'” said voice Actress and stage Actress, Victoria Witter. “I just loved everything, so I just thought, I felt like I was going to cry, felt like I was going to laugh, it was just a really great experience.”
“I’m loving all the costumes are just beautiful. And the prop work, the acrobatics, beautiful harmony, and unity,” said dancer Lara Friedman-Kats.
From legends to scenes set in modern-day China, story-based dance is one of the ways Shen Yun portrays Chinese traditional culture and its values.
The skills and inner-expressions of the performers have deeply impressed the audience.
“I did a dance a few years ago that incorporated the sleeves, and I know how intricate and how hard it is to work with those props. So to see it on stage, because I’ve been a part of it, but I’ve never seen it live. So to see it was really beautiful,” added Lara. “Especially, the second to last piece with the mother and the daughter, just the emotion behind that, you can see the training, not only dance technique-wise but also the emotional investment in the pieces as well.”
Audience members were deeply touched by the deeper meaning behind the stories and appreciate the artists’ effort to revive China’s divinely-inspired culture.
“I’ve studied lots of different religions, including Buddhism and such, and I love that aspect of it because it really brings a different dimension. It’s not just art. It’s like art and religion in a way, it’s really beautiful, to be honest. I love it,” added Victoria. “I think that by doing things like this, it lets to bring awareness of other cultures and other experiences here. And I love experiencing it through the theater because it’s such a first, it’s such an immersive experience, that you really get to see everything. You get to see the people, you get to see the clothing, you get to hear the stories, and it’s amazing.”
NTD News, Newark, New Jersey
