Shen Yun Performing Arts returned to Reno with four performances. Audience members enjoyed seeing the ancient culture presented on stage.
“It was absolutely perfect,” said Eric Christianson, CEO of Nutrient. “I’ve never seen such perfection in the number of dancers all at the same time—the movements, the detail, all the way down to just the placement of the hands, the way that the cloth and on the uniforms and the dance costumes, just were also in perfect harmony. … I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. It was amazing.”
“You could just feel it, that people loved what they were doing and enjoying it and performing seemed to be a joy for them. And the music, being by the orchestra, it was just—I sat so close to it, that I really felt it … just the beauty of the music as well,” said Shari Levandowski, vice president of Information Technology Services at Reedy Industries.
Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance, one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world. Combined with traditional costumes and vibrant colors, the company brings past stories to life.
“I especially love the floating sleeves dance; that was beautiful to watch. For example, I didn’t know when they extended their sleeves that they would actually catch it to restart the type of performance, and I thought that was beautifully done,” said Chelsea Sanford, deputy district attorney in Churchill County.
“I think it’s a very interesting depiction of all the different cultural parts of China. I like that they’ve hit very different regions; you can see how the different regions have different costumes and different styles of dance that I think are very interesting to see,” said Joe Sanford, a district attorney in the city of Fallon.
The performance showcases 5,000 years of Chinese culture, but that was nearly lost under the Chinese Communist Party. Shen Yun aims to revive the rich heritage.
“It touched me. It was very sad to see that is still a thing going on in the world for someone’s beliefs [to be suppressed], and it was done very pretty, and how they were able to express it,” said Chelsea Sanford.
“I think it’s important to see that people are just trying to keep their cultures alive and bring it back,” said Levandowski. “And show that there’s so much more to it. Especially today with so much going on in the world and just being able to keep the culture and keep it alive. I don’t know of anything that’s 5,000 years.”
NTD News, Reno, Nevada
