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Senator Elizabeth Hubley attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Jan. 10, 2010. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)
OTTAWA—Senator Elizabeth Hubley adjusted her travel plans from Prince Edward Island in order to take in the opening show of Shen Yun Performing Arts in Ottawa on Sunday afternoon. And the dance veteran said she was delighted she came.
“It was just a very moving and spiritual and entertaining afternoon, altogether,” Sen. Hubley said.
“I think starting off with the creation and certainly the backdrop and the way the lighting was projected and how it was integrated with the show… I have never seen it done quite so nicely before. So that added a lot to the show in my mind.”
The show, she said, has a “very special spiritual aspect” to it that she found moving.
“Moved to tears, absolutely … The show far exceeded my expectations,” she said, adding that she cried a little during the show.
Sen. Hubley was a dance instructor for many years and in 1980 established her own dance studio Stepping Out, where she continues to serve as artistic director and principal choreographer.
She said that although she is involved in an art form from her particular heritage, she could see the grandeur of the art presented by Shen Yun.
“There's a wow factor to everything I saw today.”
Sen. Hubley gave her professional opinion of the show during a VIP reception following the performance.
Senator Elizabeth Hubley addresses the VIP reception after the Sunday afternoon Shen Yun show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. (The Epoch Times)
"The show was absolutely stunning. It was just astonishing in its exuberance and its colour, in the choreography, in the music. It was enjoyable from the beginning to the end. It was a wonderful show … The choreographies were so individual and so unique.”
Commenting on the props she said, “I really enjoyed the use of the fans and how they created such illusions with them. I thought that was ingenious. All the dancers were spectacular; they portrayed the story lines and they created the stage presence. So I think all in all, the show was a wonderful afternoon and to be congratulated.”
She said she enjoyed the “unique” way in which drums, swords, archers, and bows were used in the show.
Shen Yun draws its inspiration from 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with many dances based on the myths and legends of ancient China, something Sen. Hubley also enjoyed.
“I think the men portrayed interesting storylines about famous people in the traditional culture, and I liked those.”
“I think that perhaps we in the western world don't know enough about the traditional end of Chinese culture, but I think it's important that shows like this carry on a tradition and then present that to the world, because I think it goes a long way in helping the world become a more peaceful and energetic place.”
Besides the classical Chinese dance that forms the mainstay of each Shen Yun performance, the company also presents several musical soloists.
“I thought the soprano was wonderful,” said Sen. Hubley. “I thought the two-stringed instrument [erhu] was just beyond …”
After retiring from provincial politics in P.E.I. in 1996, Sen. Hubley was appointed to the Senate in 2001.
Among numerous other P.E.I. cultural groups, Sen. Hubley has been a member of the P.E.I. Council of the Arts, a founding member of the Kensington Step Dancing Festival, and president of the P.E.I. Fiddlers Society, the Prince County Fiddlers, and the Kensington and Area Cultural Foundation.
Shen Yun will play three shows at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa: 2:30 p.m. and 7: 30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10, and 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 11.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
