SAN FRANCISCO—Mark Dubeau, a painter at Tippett Studios who attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the War Memorial Opera House on Jan. 10, was struck by the beauty of the performance.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is universally renowned for aspiring to bring back China’s authentic 5,000-year-old culture portrayed in classical Chinese dance and music—a culture that has been desecrated over the past 60 years of communist rule.
“Thanks for the show!” Mr. Dubeau exclaimed. “It had a good balance of energy, it was graceful, and the fans were fun.” In the dance Lotus Leaves, the fans carried by the dancers move like lily pads rocked by the wind, says Shen Yun’s program.
Mr. Dubeau, who works in the computer graphics industry, commented on the animated backdrops that moved seamlessly from scene to scene. “They were colorful. ... The colors are not used in Western design,” he said. “It’s a very specific palette.”
Shen Yun features story-based dances that travel from the era of ancient legends through time, providing glimpses into China’s diverse ethnic traditions through to the present day, the company website says.
Mr. Dubeau liked how the female dancers conveyed strength and femininity. Speaking of the dancer who played the role of the female general, he said, she could “be ever so soft and feminine, but at the same time have the courage and resolve to stand her own when her country needs her.”
“I actually noted that there is a power in grace. I think a woman’s strengths are not appreciated enough in the West … but that shows that maintaining strength and femininity in tandem is doable.”
Mr. Dubeau noted “the inter-connectivity of everything” throughout the entire Shen Yun performance and the confidence each artist displayed, particularly the dancers as they twisted, turned, spun, and leaped through the air. “People separating, but knowing the group is there to return to—and a step is not missed.”
Reporting by Vicky Jiang and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company is in San Diego for five performances at the California Center for the Arts, Jan. 19 to Jan. 22.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
