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Mr. and Mrs. Wood attend Shen Yun Performing Arts in Phoenix on Jan. 28. (Albert Roman/The Epoch Times)
PHOENIX—“I thought the dancers were lovely,” said Mrs. Wood, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts on Saturday in Phoenix.
“I appreciated the tenor very much … I liked that very much. I like the words,” she continued.
Shen Yun Performing Arts Company, based out of New York, is comprised of three dance companies that go on world-tour six months of every year, each time bringing an entirely new production to the stage.
Mr. and Mrs. Wood are both jewelry designers in Phoenix.
Elaborating from the viewpoint of an artist Mr. Wood said, “The colors, the costumes, the performance, the choreography … all fabulous.”
Shen Yun aims to revive the essence of traditional Chinese culture, a heritage rooted in values like propriety and justice, reverence for the divine, and filial piety, according to the company’s website.
“It was a beautiful message,” Mrs. Wood added.
“I know that a lot of religions are persecuted in China.” Mrs. Wood further elaborated on how she had heard of the persecution of Falun Dafa and felt for the people. “I hope it will [stop] because I’m against religious persecution.
In China, under the Communist regime, the Cultural Revolution destroyed the ancient arts and even today they ban groups like Falun Dafa, a peaceful spiritual practice that encourages the individual to strive to be an honest, caring and courageous human being.
“I will always support in any way I can to put down any kind of religious persecution because it’s wrong. And I personally have a soft place in my heart for China, and I always have all my life,” said Mrs. Wood.
Shen Yun’s dancers are from all parts of the globe, as well as mainland China. It takes many years of rigorous training before a dancer has developed the skills necessary to perform to Shen Yun’s high standards.
One dance includes a part from one of China’s historic fables entitled Journey to the West; it is the story of Monkey King, who after being trapped inside a rock for 500 years has magical powers.
“I loved The Monkey King—I’ve seen Chinese opera … and of course he’s a favorite theme there [in China]. I thought it was lovely,” said Mrs. Wood.
The Shen Yun Orchestra blends Western and Eastern instruments in original compositions, it includes; the erhu, pipa and the dizi and the traditional philharmonic instrumentation widely known in the West.
“The show was lovely—and the music was a kind of mix of traditional Eastern and Western,” said Mr. Wood.
The evening closed with the audience showing their appreciation with a standing ovation.
Reporting by Albert Roman and Maria Banks.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company is in Phoenix at ASU Gammage through Jan. 29, 2012 and performs next in Eugene, Oregon at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 1, 2012
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
