LOS ANGELES—Mr. Woodard attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts show Sunday evening at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Music Center. Mr. Woodard, a musician and recording artist, said he very much enjoyed the show.
“The music was excellent. I liked the combination of traditional Chinese instrument along with Western orchestration. It blended very well, actually. I’ve never heard it like that before. I’ve heard traditional Chinese music and traditional Western music, but never combined," said Mr. Woodard.
Mr. Woodard was also impressed with tenor Hong Ming. He said that Ming stood out and his huge voice almost didn’t need a microphone.
Mr. Woodard had never been to a show like this but found familiar musical aspects in all of the soloists. “It’s very interesting how the melodies are very similar; the thematic material, melody, and rhythm. There are a lot of familiar things listening with Western ears," he said.
Mr. Woodard thought the dancing was excellent. He thought the choreography was very good, well rehearsed, and well choreographed.
He added that it was interesting that the male dancers were very acrobatic and the female dancers were very graceful.
Classical Chinese dance is Shen Yun's medium of expression. The dance form requires the dancers to do extensive and rigorous training, as it is the most expressive form of dance.
Shen Yun bills itself as the premier Classical Chinese dance company.
His wife, Ms. Wu, said that the performance’s accompanying orchestra was flawless, and the music and dance were in perfect harmony. She particularly pointed out that the sound of the erhu was pure.
“It was absolutely worth it,” she said.
In the story lines, Mr. Woodard saw a common theme of hope and belief. “There is definitely an underlying theme of self-fulfillment, self-enlightenment,” he said.
Shen Yun seeks to revive the 5000-year-old culture of China through its performances. The performing group has played in over 100 cities across 5 continents to over a million audience members.
With reporting by Jim Li
Shen Yun will continue to perform in Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Music Center through Sunday Feb. 14.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
