SEOUL, South Korea—Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company’s performance in Seoul on the evening of April 16 drew many celebrities to the Seoul Sangmyung Art Center to watch the performance. After attending the show, South Korea’s famous actress Kim Yeong-ae exclaimed, “The Shen Yun performance is as beautiful as a fairy tale. If this beautiful world exists, it would be really great.
“Shen Yun’s spectacular performance also allows us to have the opportunity to look back at the long Chinese history.”
Deeply enjoying the Shen Yun dancers, Ms. Kim said, “How on earth can their bearing and form be so graceful and natural? How do they sharpen their technical skills, and how many times [do they practise every day], so that they are able to achieve such a high level? I really admire them very much. Their performances were like feathers flying in the air, and the dancers were seemingly dancing in the air as well.”
“As the overall performances were so beautiful, I believe all of the artists would have performed with a very pure mind. It struck me that if all of us are able to have such a pure mind, and lead a pure life, it would be great?” Ms. Kim said.
The high-tech animated backdrops left a deep impression on Ms. Kim. She said, “The piece The Emperor Journeys to the Moon impressed me very much. It depicted the scenes of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang’s journey to the moon. The performance was indeed very fascinating and mysterious.”
“When seeing the show today, I was also pondering the mysterious heavenly paradise. I believe this kind of paradise may exist in the world.
“The Shen Yun performance is like what is described in a fairy tale. I think if there are this kind of paradises in the world, it would be great,” she said.
Ms. Kim added, “Though the performances simply spanned a short period of time, I have appreciated the authentic traditional Chinese culture. Therefore, I am feeling exhilarated.”
Kim Yeong-ae is a veteran South Korean television star. With her elegant and graceful appearance, as well as her self-esteem, she is a popular actress in South Korea. In particular, her superb performances in the TV drama Hwang Jin Yi was the pinnacle of her acting career.
Shen Yun ‘A painting by a master’
After watching Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second performance in Seoul on April 16, well-known actor Mr. Lee Jeong-Gir exclaimed, “I was emotionally stirred by every program.” He described his experience as “enjoying a painting by a master that fused music, art, acting, and dancing in one. It allows me to see a piece of outstanding dream work.” Mr. Lee has appeared in over 50 TV operas in the past 20 years.
“Through the two-hour performance, I was able to appreciate the ancient history of China; I am very thrilled,” he said.
“This performance is not based on just a couple of stories. Every program is a single story that continues from the previous one and prepares for the beginning of the next one. Every program brought me joy and thrills. It’s not easy. The performance was extraordinary and was presented as a highly skillful work of art,” Mr. Lee said.
“The intense programs have the nature of art. With the highly skillful dancing and enchanting music, I had a wonderful time,” he added.
“The performance has the artistic atmosphere from the minority groups as well as a core of the Han people. It is based on the nature of ancient China and I sensed a strong message from the values it presents. The performance contains an immense and profound content of Chinese culture, truly amazing.
“Based on the changing history, there will be a catastrophe on earth and mankind’s existence may be at risk. ... Through this performance, I obtained good energy and spirit.”
Read the original Chinese articles. [1] [2]
Reporting by Lee Jinhan and Bill Xu, Kim Jyeong-Aha and Hsin-Yi Lin
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
