LAS VEGAS—An entire high school Chinese class came to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company on Saturday afternoon, March 16, at Reynolds Hall in the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Along with the class was the husband of the teacher, Richard Bullock, who is the director of education at the Family Music Center in Las Vegas.
“It was very entertaining. It was interesting to see the culture that goes back so many centuries in China,” said Mr. Bullock.
Shen Yun is on a mission across the world to revive China’s ancient culture, using classical Chinese dance and music to bring to the stage different tales and legends from China’s 5,000 years.
Along with the performance, there is an educational aspect to the show, teaching the audience different interesting facts about Chinese culture, allowing greater understanding of the pieces and further appreciation for the richness and influence of China’s culture.
“Even some of the dance moves that I thought that had originated in Russia, actually maybe China is where it originated. That was interesting to learn that,” said Mr. Bullock.
Supporting the dance pieces is the Shen Yun Orchestra, which consists of both Chinese and Western instruments. As the Shen Yun website explains, “A Western philharmonic orchestra plays the foundation, while traditional Chinese instruments lead the melodies. The sound produced is uniquely pleasing to the ear. The ensemble at once expresses both the grandeur of a Western orchestra and the distinct sensibilities of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization.”
Mr. Bullock said that the orchestra was “wonderful. Very good. Having a degree in music I know good musicians when I see them. The conductor is very good.”
He also appreciated the inclusion of the Eastern instruments with the orchestra. “And the orchestral arrangements were very nice, too. The way they integrated some of the Chinese instruments into the orchestra, made a big difference.”
Along with dance pieces, there are four songs, sung by sopranos and tenors, in Chinese with the lyrics projected on the backdrop, in both Chinese and English.
The vocalists struck Mr. Bullock. “Very impressed, particularly with the singers. They did a great job.”
Reporting by Lu Rusong and Ben Bendig
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company is performing in San Francisco, at the SHN Orpheum Theatre, March 20-24. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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