OTTAWA—One of the things that struck Ian Renaud about the Shen Yun Performing Arts show he attended at the National Arts Centre on Thursday night was the depth of feeling the dancers put into their art.
“Everybody is offering a really honest performance,” he said. “Their faces and their expressions, they’re really present, really there for the passion and for the fun of it. It’s really nice.”
Mr. Renaud, a life coach and entrepreneur who owns his own business in Gatineau, added that he enjoyed all aspects of the performance.
“Really impressive, really nice performance, lots of colourful details; the music is really good.”
His wife, Nathalie Ouellette, was equally impressed.
“I thought it was stunning, it was very beautiful,” said Ms. Ouellette, who works for the government and as an independent consultant for cosmetics company Arbonne.
But it was the music of the Shen Yun Orchestra with its blend of Western and Chinese instruments that really bowled her over.
“The music is indescribable for me. I like everything about the music. You hear it and you can feel it all over your body, all over your soul. That’s what I felt.”
It was the couple’s first time seeing Shen Yun, a New York-based performance company that each year at this time tours the world showcasing the essence of China’s profound traditional culture through the performing arts.
“I’m still really amazed by all the different costumes, all the different dances, and how they express themselves through dances in different times,” said Mr. Renaud. “It’s really interesting.”
Over the past 5,000 years, China amassed a diverse legacy of heroes, characters, myths, and legends, and this rich treasure trove is what Shen Yun Performing Arts draws inspiration from.
“I find that the themes that are danced are really special, precise. To manage the themes from 5,000 years ago and put them here in the present time—it’s really interesting also,” Mr. Renaud said.
Noting the elaborate costumes, Ms. Ouellette said: “They are very colourful, very beautiful, very elegant. I think it is very classy.”
“Really colourful, lots of details. They look almost angelic,” added her husband.
Reporting by Matthew Little and Joan Delaney
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will continue at the National Arts Centre until Dec. 23. For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
