NEW YORK, N.Y.—After traveling five continents and almost 200 cities, classical Chinese dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 2023 season officially came to a close. The performance has attracted global audiences from all walks of life, from filmmakers, politicians to artists.
“I love Shen Yun. I’m so happy that this culture exists here and that someone was able to take Chinese culture outside of politics, but to actually take the old Chinese culture that dates back and put it in front of an American audience.” said Tony Mark, an Oscar-winning filmmaker, “Because it’s so rich, and it’s so beautiful.”
“It gives you warmth inside to watch it, and the skills of the performers were very inspiring.” said Paul Baumbach, a Delaware state representative, “and the stories were just lovely, and the production was just magical.”
Audiences spoke highly of Shen Yun’s artistry.
“Every single movement that they do, especially the leg kicks, the acrobatics, the spins, how they hold their hands, and how flowy they are, and how graceful the movements are, you can tell straight away that they’re very highly skilled dance performers,” said Honey Kalaria, a Bollywood choreographer.
Giorgio Casciarri, an Italian tenor, said Shen Yun was like a “fairy tale world.” “The entire choreography makes for a beautiful show. More than a show, it comes with spirituality.”
Shen Yun’s dance performance comes with a live orchestra, blending instruments from the East and West.
“It blended well, it was well balanced, and it still gave plenty of opportunity for all the instruments to shine,” said Sharon Lee, co-artistic director of the Toronto Concert Orchestra. “It was really well written, very well performed.”
For others, the 3D animated backdrop was a standout. “The merging of very sophisticated modern multimedia technology with the huge high-resolution screen, together with the performers on stage, and the way that the characters move between the physical stage in front of us and then the screen and the animation, is extremely effective and very cleverly done,” said Paul Fletcher, an Australian federal member of parliament.
An audience from Taiwan said the show was more than just dance. “You can enjoy the most beautiful things humanity has to offer. You can also learn more about your heart, how tolerance can make our lives better. Instead of being competitive and seeking fame and gain,” said Kuo-Lung Liu, chairman of Taiwan’s National Architects Association.
Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through dance and music.
“That is one hard task. And I really give them credit for taking it step by step for every person that comes here and is able to see it,” said Tom Thomsen, owner of Thomsen Leadership Consulting LLC. Thomsen added he thinks that effort is a little grain that is growing into a big tree, and more people will begin to see and learn about it.
NTD News, New York.
