LAS VEGAS—Artist Doug Doyle took in the sights and sounds of Shen Yun Performing Arts at Reynolds Hall in The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Feb. 22. “It’s fabulous,” he said of the performance.
“The colors are gorgeous,” said Mr. Doyle. “The costumes are great, very colorful.”
Mr. Doyle, now retired, produced murals and paintings for clientele such as Caesar’s Palace and Luxor in Las Vegas, as well as across the globe including in Japan, Qatar, and Costa Rica.
Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance and music to bring to life China’s divinely-inspired culture, and each dance uses unique costumes. “Every costume in a Shen Yun performance is presented with brilliant colors, displaying a splendid spectacle—from the Tang Dynasty’s ‘Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers’ to imperial dragon robes, phoenix coronets, and cloud capes; from the civil official’s headdress and robes to the warrior’s helmet and armor,” explains the Shen Yun website.
Also adding vividness and life to the dances are digital backdrops, which incorporate animations that interact with the dancers. The scenes portrayed transport the audience to Tibetan mountains and heavenly paradises.
“I loved the use of the computer and the background, the digital backdrop,” said Mr. Doyle. “And how the dancers meld into the background, I think that’s really cool. I really enjoyed that because that’s where I’m coming from, that kind of background.”
Mr. Doyle enjoyed the stories told through the dances, “Gosh, I like the stories.” He particularly enjoyed one about a mother and daughter in modern-day China who face persecution under the communist regime for their belief in Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. “I’m all for harmony and compassion and truth,” he said.
The dance pieces are also accompanied by the Shen Yun Orchestra, which combines Chinese instruments with classical Western-style arrangements. “I loved the Eastern and Western combination,” said Mr. Doyle.
Shen Yun, Mr. Doyle said, “is just spectacular.”
Reporting by Albert Roman and Ben Bendig
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
