NAGOYA, Japan—The first performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 2024 season opened in Nagoya on Friday and the audience expressed that the experience was outstanding and deeply moving.
“I was deeply moved. As expected, it was really wonderful,” said Saito Yoshiko, a Japanese company director.
Mrs. Saito is the director of a health and beauty company. She has long admired Shen Yun her wish to see Shen Yun finally came true.
“Every artist was outstanding. They were expressing the greatness of their own national culture. I think this is very important to every country,” she said.
Although Shen Yun is based in New York, it is dedicated to reviving China’s 5,000 years of tradition and culture.
“I sincerely hope that this great tradition can always be cherished,” said Mrs. Yoshiko.
She was also impressed by Shen Yun’s live orchestra which flawlessly combines a classic Western ensemble and traditional Chinese instruments.
“The performance of the orchestra is also amazing. In short, the quality of the performance is really high. All the artists are very professional and must have gone through very hard training,” she said.
Mrs. Saito expressed that Shen Yun’s efforts to revive Chinese culture make people more aware of their own history and tradition, and this is valuable to the Japanese people.
“History is being presented in the performance. Each of us should pay attention to history and hope that the younger generation can continue to pass it on … No matter what happens, you must love your own nation and culture. These are very valuable messages,” she said.
Tax Accountant Firm Owner Hopes Shen Yun Will Perform in China
Shen Yun was founded in 2006 when artists around the world came together with the common goal of allowing people to see what China was like before communism.
“I got a good ticket,” said Okuda Yoshiki, the owner of a Japanese tax accountant firm, as he sat in the front row of the theater.
“I think this performance was made possible through the group effort of Chinese people from around the world and I hope this kind of performance can be performed in China as soon as possible. We need to cherish [traditional] culture,” he said.
Shen Yun uses dance to depict the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners—a group of people who lead their lives committed to the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance.
“After [they] were arrested [by the Chinese Communist Party], their organs were harvested. This is happening in reality. I do not agree with this kind of persecution,” said Mr. Okuda.
Having seen Shen Yun a decade ago, Mr. Okuda was glad to bring his family today to experience Shen Yun together.
He found the music of Shen Yun to be very interesting.
“Eastern and Western musical instruments go well together. I think they blend very naturally and cleverly. The sound of the pipa is very distinctive, and the sound of the erhu is also very vibrant, which makes people feel like they are in China … The music and dance are also very well matched,” he said.
Dentist and Wife Praised Shen Yun
“The performance is wonderful!” Akiyama Takae, the director of Nagoya Central Dental Hospital, praised Shen Yun.
Shen Yun artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most expressive dance forms in the world.
“Although it was my first time seeing Shen Yun, the artists’ physical ability and the use of colors were excellent, which left a deep impression on me,” said Mr. Akiyama.
Shen Yun’s digital background is patented technology, which extends the stage endlessly and allows the dancers to go anywhere in this world and beyond.
“I was deeply impressed by the visual effects, exquisite creativity, and the performers’ superb training results,” praised Mr. Akiyama.
One dance story told the tale of the Monkey King from “Journey to the West.” Mr. Akiyama was most impressed by this dance.
“The background images and the dance movements worked perfectly together. This story is also well-known in Japan. The performance and storytelling are both excellent, and it is very enjoyable to watch,” he said.
He also likes the accompaniment of Shen Yun’s live symphony orchestra. ”The music is very good, and it feels great to hear live music directly. The scenes are very vivid, and the accompanied music flows smoothly into the ears.”
Mrs. Akiyama Kazue, Mr. Akiyama’s wife, also shared her love for Shen Yun. She mentioned that she had seen many well-known performances around the world, but Shen Yun’s performance brought her particular surprise and enjoyment.
“The overall quality of the performance was very high … very outstanding, I was deeply moved,” she said.
She described the moment the curtain went up as “really touching people’s hearts, not only visually, but also physically. It was like being surrounded by music. It was a very beautiful feeling and moved me deeply.”
She also felt the power conveyed by the dances of Shen Yun.
“All the dancers were very coordinated and full of energy. The youthful vitality seemed to affect everyone. I felt the power of youth and my mood was completely alleviated,” she said.
Reporting by NTD, Wang Wenliang, and Niu Bin.
From The Epoch Times
