DETROIT—Both Heather Coulman and Kara Meier, dance teachers, were amazed by the dancers in Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The friends drove about hour from Grand Blanc, Michigan, where they teach tap, jazz, ballet, modern, and lyrical dance at L & L Dance, to the Detroit Opera House to see the Sunday matinee.
“The show is incredible. The dancers are extremely talented, and it was a wonderful show,” Ms. Coulman said.
New York-based Shen Yun tours the world with the mission of restoring 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, according to the company’s website. The dancers perform classical Chinese dance, and ethnic and folk dance.
“Classical Chinese dance is composed of three main parts: bearing, form, and technical skill. Other than complete training in the fundamentals, it also entails systematic training in movements and postures, as well as very difficult jumping and tumbling techniques. And so, alongside ballet, classical Chinese dance is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world,” according to the company’s website.
“The male dancers were awesome. The way they jump and stay in the air for a long time—it was really impressive. They make it look really easy, but we know it’s not,” Ms. Coulman said.
“We loved it; it was fantastic. The dancers are extremely talented and it was beautiful to watch. They all worked together and it looked great,” Ms. Meier said.
Ms. Coulman also mentioned the exact synchronicity of the dancers, with each other and with the music. Shen Yun dancers are accompanied by an orchestra, which combines classical Western and traditional Chinese instruments.
As an expressive dance form, classical Chinese dance makes an excellent vehicle to depict the legends and history of China.
“The choreography was great,” Ms. Coulman said, adding that it told the stories well.
To sum up her impression, Ms. Coulman said that Shen Yun’s artistic style was excellent.
“They really portray what they stand for and as far as the culture goes, it was magnificent,” she said. “It was really a good experience and I think everyone should probably come see this show.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Sharon Kilarski.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
