New York-based Shen Yun began a five-day run of shows at Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, California, to a sold-out house at each performance. Audience members were impressed by the artistic level of the dance and music.
“The artistry is beautiful. It’s been really, truly amazing,” said Kevin Isbell, executive director at Data & Analytics Services. “Just seeing the costumes, and how that all blends in with the culture. I’ve been really blown away so far.”
According to its program book, what Shen Yun has done is use classical Chinese dance to tell stories from China’s traditional culture.
“I feel like I’m learning more about China, actually. It’s been very interesting to observe the journey and to take that all in. So I’ve really enjoyed it,” Isbell added. “You don’t just come for the dance, you come for the culture.”
“With this show, you feel the spirit, and you feel so many of the core elements of Chinese culture,” said Kristen McDonald, China program director for Pacific Environment. “It’s really well done.”
“The entire show has a lot of classical Chinese dancing, and music and culture, I really enjoy the storytelling throughout it, the costumes and music have been beautiful,” said Teresa Scanlan, a student at UC Berkeley School of Law and Miss America 2011. “It’s really incredible to get a sense of Chinese culture, language, music, and history all in one, so it makes the entire night flow really spectacularly, you feel you really getting a glimpse through thousands of years of Chinese culture.”
“I think that’s a universal value,” she added. “How no matter what hardship we go through, there’s always that place of light that we can look for. It feels like the time has come. And then, I’m just very moved.”
NTD News, Berkeley, California
