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State Rep. Charles McBurney was at the Times-Union Center to see New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 30.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—State Rep. Charles McBurney and his wife were at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts to see the presentation of ancient China’s traditional culture staged by New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 30.
“This is a fabulous production. I am just amazed at the beauty, the movement, the costumes, the dancing,” Mr. McBurney said. “There is no other word for it except fabulous. It was truly fabulous!”
From the opening scene to the closing curtain, Mr. McBurney enjoyed the program.
“I can tell you one, of the ones that gave me the most impression was the story of the hunter of the tiger [Wu Song Battles the Tiger]. I was saying that if I could get some tips from him in dealing with the tiger in Tallahassee [politics in the capital], maybe I should do the same, and I would have the same kind of success,” he joked.
The dance, adapted from one of China’s classic novels, tells of a hunter who, after downing a good bit of wine, hunts down and kills the tiger that has been terrorizing a village.
“As much as anything—the dancing and the movement, the choreography, the costumes—all of it is just beautiful,” Mr. McBurney said.
The performance includes dance, projected backdrops, solo vocal music, and an orchestra with a unique blend of Western and Eastern instruments.
Mr. McBurney said he would encourage more people to experience the performance: “I would encourage them to come and experience this program. They will come away with a real appreciation of Chinese music and culture.”
The legislator spoke of Shen Yun having to cancel seven sold-out shows in Hong Kong due to immigration authorities there denying visas to key production staff. Mr. McBurney recalled Hong Kong before it came under the control of mainland China.
“At that time, it was a very open, vibrant society, one of the most vibrant capitalist—and I mean that in the best sense of the word—cities I've been to in the world. To find that the Chinese government is not adhering to the 'one country, two systems' as they promised, I think it's a tragedy,” he said.
The last time Mr. McBurney was in Hong Kong was in 1996, about a year to a year and a half before the change-over, he said. He has also traveled extensively in China.
His wife teaches music at Mandarin Oaks Middle School, which includes Chinese music and culture in its curriculum. For a number of years he roomed with a Chinese-American who was from the oldest Chinese-American family in Jacksonville.
With reporting by Ben Yang.
The last Florida show of Shen Yun’s 2010 world tour is scheduled for Jacksonville, at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
