SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic—The former Minister of Culture and an art critic to boot, Carmen Heredia knows a good performance when she sees one.
Following Shen Yun’s evening show at the Eduardo Brito National Theater on Feb. 2, Ms. Heredia gave her verdict that it was a spectacular and beautiful
performance.
“It’s a show worth seeing,” she said. “I invite everyone to come and enjoy this wonderful show.”
“The folkloric part [was] very beautiful. The classical Chinese dancing was excellent and the dancers were excellent,” she said. “Besides that, the choreography was very good. The synchronization was wonderful. It created magic.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of China’s ruling communist party. Following the regime’s violent takeover in 1949, Chinese traditional culture went through a period of mass destruction.
According to Shen Yun’s website, the New York-based artists’ mission is to bring China’s
5,000 years of divinely inspired culture back to life and share with everyone “beauty before communism.”
While traveling in China, Ms. Heredia had the opportunity to see other art performances but Shen Yun was especially moving for her “because it [showcased China’s] 5,000 years of traditions and the different dynasties.”
For Ms. Heredia,
Shen Yun’s magic lies in its ability to tell the truth and portray the real China.
“Culture is everything. Traditions must be preserved because culture is what identifies us as people and as a civilization. I think [Shen Yun’s mission] is above all, worthy of praise,” she said.
Today, Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company. To satisfy popular demand, it has grown to include
eight equally sized companies that perform yearly to packed venues around the world.
Ms. Heredia had also fallen in love with Shen Yun’s music and its unique blend of the East and West. The live orchestra features a classic Western ensemble while highlighting traditional Chinese instruments such as the two-stringed
erhu and the
pipa—an ancient lute.
Shen Yun is the first in the world to permanently
combine classical Western and Chinese instruments.
“I thought it was excellent,” Ms. Heredia expressed. “Besides being able to hear Chinese music on those beautiful traditional instruments, each piece has its own charm. It’s endearing.”
“So, I found it all beautiful. [Shen Yun] is really worth seeing,” she said.
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
