With another full house performance, Shen Yun concluded their visit to the ancient Japanese capital Kamakura on Feb. 3. Audience members praised the choreography of the dances as well as the live symphony orchestra.
Yoshito Kawakami, a company president and music producer, said that “beauty and music are common to all human beings. Shen Yun’s gorgeous, moving, and superbly choreographed performances are recognized around the world as great artistic entertainment.”
Hiroshi Takizawa, a director at a construction company said, “The male dancers were very dynamic, the female dancers were delicate, and the sense of unity when they came together, which is the best part in my opinion.”
“The dancers’ skills are out of this world, I don’t know how much training they have gone through to accomplish such coordinated and unified movements,” said Keiko Marumoto, a president of a beauty nutrition education company.
Some audience members said the performance made them feel nostalgic by showing them the differences between what China was like in ancient times and the state it is in today.
Tetsuya Yamazaki, the department head at a hospital said, “I felt a sense of nostalgia. It was my first time seeing this kind of Chinese cultural performance, but the music and costumes made me feel nostalgic and I like it.”
Masakazu Suzuki, the president of a labor insurance company said, “This is the China I long for. I had traveled to China several times before the pandemic because of my work, but I didn’t have good memories.” He added that “today’s performance made me feel as if I were seeing the China I loved as a child.”
Mr. Yamazaki added, “We think of China as it is today, but Shen Yun shows China as it has always been since ancient times. When I think of things like the Great Wall of China, I realize that China is a country with a very profound and long history.”
“I could totally feel that the performers conveyed their inner beauty through their expressive power,” said Mr. Kawakami. “Shen Yun brings back to the audience the good old traditions, good customs, and good habits that are being lost. The show conveyed the good things about the past. In particular, the true meaning of the words truthfulness, kindness, and forbearance are now being lost, and I think the performance presents them very well.”
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is the first orchestra in the world to blend as permanent members ancient Chinese instruments like the erhu and pipa with Western instruments.
Mutsuko Fuse said, “The music was amazing. It was the first time I heard pipa and erhu in a symphony orchestra, and it was so well harmonized that the music blended perfectly with the stage.”
“The erhu performance was excellent. I used to love the erhu, and the Japanese shamisen may have evolved from it,” said Mr. Suzuki. “I like the beautiful sound of the erhu, and the technique of playing it is superb. I deeply felt the depth of the sound itself.”
Mr. Yamazaki said he was “also impressed by the beautiful erhu playing, which I can’t get enough of no matter how many times I hear it.”
“The symphony orchestra was also very good, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the live accompaniment, which was wonderful,” said Ms. Marumoto. “A person’s mood affects the health of their organs, as emotions or stress can cause them to get sick. I hope everyone can come to the show, especially those who are not well. I will bring more friends to see it next time.”
Shu Sawano, a consultant at an insurance company said, “The artists not only bring us programs to watch, but also change the world through their performances, and I felt their strong will. Why are people born and where are they going? As we begin to forget this and chase after material things and pleasures, Shen Yun reminds us of those ways of being that have been accumulated in history.”
Shen Yun’s time in Japan continues with three performances in Kobe from Feb. 11 to 12.
NTD News, Kamakura, Japan.
