SAN FRANCISCO—Shen Yun Performing Arts took to the stage at War Memorial Opera House Saturday, delighting audience members with a performance that transported them through 5,000 years of divinely-inspired Chinese culture.
“The music was wonderful, the dance was wonderful, the show was so beautiful and colorful and interesting; the singers and the musicians were fabulous,” said music teacher Gosia Hoot. “I really enjoyed myself. This was our first time and we definitely want to come back and see it again. We'll bring our kids!”
Mrs. Hoot and her husband, Daryl, marveled at the long history of classical Chinese dance, the core of Shen Yun’s performances.
“You can see how strong the dancers were, and how beautiful the technique is,” Mrs. Hoot said. “[A] pleasure to watch.”
Classical Chinese dance, with a history of thousands of years, became a complete system of dance that “is rich with expressive power,” says Shen Yun’s website. “Through expression of bearing and form, beautiful dance movements bring out the inner meaning of intrinsic thoughts and feelings, reflecting the peculiarities of human nature, the standard for human conduct, moral concepts, mental state, one’s value system, and so on.”
Mrs. Hoot enjoyed the orchestra, which melds Eastern and Western instruments to create a unique sound.
“The orchestra was wonderful,” she said. “Especially the woman who played the two-stringed [erhu]. That was a gorgeous sound—very haunting and so beautiful.”
The erhu is a 4,000-year-old Chinese violin with two strings that is capable of conveying a wide range of emotions.
Mr. Hoot was also full of praise. “What I especially appreciated was the screen ... and how they merged the two,” he said. “It was very, very effective.”
Behind the dancers is an animated digital backdrop that takes the audience from the beginning of Chinese culture to modern day China; from battlegrounds to the heavens; from secluded monasteries to flowering gardens. The animation allows for dancers to seemingly move in and out of the backdrop.
The message the Hoots resonated with was one related to modern-day China.
“We’re just sad to see the oppression and basically what’s going on,” said Mr. Hoot. “We’ve heard about what’s going on in China.”
The communist regime has gone to great lengths to eradicate traditional Chinese culture, which has been guided by spiritual beliefs and principles such as benevolence, divine retribution, and wisdom, as well as respect for the heavens, says Shen Yun’s website.
The company was formed in 2006, with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, says its website. Being based in New York allows Shen Yun free artistic expression. Modern-day China is also depicted onstage, showing the regime’s persecution of Falun Gong, a meditation practice popular in China.
“Christians are also being persecuted [in China],” Mr. Hoot said. “It’s very sad to see, and yet it’s very encouraging to see something like this, which continues the education and the appreciation of the culture, so that you don’t forget.”
“It’s a shame that people in China can’t enjoy this. That’s unbelievable,” he said.
“We’re glad we can enjoy it here,” added Mrs. Hoot.
The couple saw universal themes in the performance, including the desire for peace, the desire for finding the truth, hope, and compassion.
“It’s such a joy being able to share in another culture from way across the world, and see the beauty, the talent, the dedication, [and] the training,” said Mrs. Hoot. “And the heart of an artist comes through in so many forms, and it’s just so nice to see. We really appreciate it.”
Reporting by Gary Wang and Zack Stieber.
Shen Yun’s New York Company will perform in San Francisco until Jan. 8, and then Los Angeles, Jan. 11 to 14. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
