LOS ANGELES—The first shows from Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 2012 season continue to impress audiences.
Patricia Harrison, a retired executive assistant, had come along to The Music Center, to watch the Saturday matinee performance.
“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like Shen Yun, said Ms. Harrison.
“I brought my granddaughter, and she is in love with it as much as I [am].”
At the core of Shen Yun’s performances is classical Chinese dance with China’s numerous ethnic and folk dance styles rounding out the evening, the Shen Yun website says.
Shen Yun had given Ms. Harrison a definite “sense of Chinese culture.”
She explained that she had learned a lot about Chinese culture from her parents who had traveled all over China prior to World War II.
“It’s great for me to see it now as a much older lady,” she said.
Ms. Harrison was quick to point out that the dancers were outstanding. “The costumes are so brilliant and beautiful,” she said admiringly.
Brilliant colors from the Tang or Han dynasty contrast with the colorful costumes seen in the numerous ethnic and folk dances according to the Shen Yun website.
“I’m constantly impressed by each succeeding dance,” she said. “The happy monks dance was adorable. It made us all laugh.”
The dance, Joyful Little Monks, shows what happens when monks from a remote monastery joyfully pick up brooms and basins and begin to clean the temple.
Ms. Harrison said that the dances depicting the spiritual problems encountered in China “was a nice touch.”
Shen Yun draws upon China’s 5,000 years of culture, including human rights stories depicting the persecution of Falun Gong, an ancient mind-body practice that is still persecuted in China today.
“It brought a real touch of what goes on in China, without being too much.”
She added that the high-definition screen which is used as a backdrop on the stage was a “brilliant touch.”
The digital backdrops extend the stage and carry the audience into another realm where heaven and earth have become one, says the company’s website.
“It is an experience ... if you don’t come and experience it while it’s here, there is nothing you can compare it with,” said Ms. Harrison who said she would recommend Shen Yun highly.
Reporting by SOH Radio Network and Genevieve Long.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world and will perform at New York City’s Lincoln Center through January 15.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
