ESCONDIDO, Calif—Shen Yun Performing Arts touched the hearts of attorney Randolph Ortlieb and his wife Susan Ortlieb, a book blogger, at the California Center for the Arts on Thursday, Feb. 27.
“I like the dance and the beauty of the show. The athleticism,” said Mrs. Ortlieb. “Very lovely.”
“Very professional, also,” said Mr. Ortlieb.
Shen Yun was established in 2006 in New York by a group of artists who wished “to revive the true, divinely inspired culture of China and share it with the world,” according to the company’s website.
“A Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance,” says the website.
Mrs. Ortlieb is a board member of a high school music department, and she said she was getting ideas for her students’ costumes from Shen Yun’s intricate, hand-made costumes.
Shen Yun performances also feature solo vocalists, who sing in the Chinese language with the challenging bel canto technique, and can also include solo instrumentalists.
Mr. Ortlieb enjoyed the lyrics sung by one of the female vocal soloists during the first half of the performance.
“I thought that the opening song, by the soprano, was inspiring,” he said. “I think it was wonderful. About the true meaning of life, the true purpose of life, which is to find truth.”
Mr. Ortlieb said he appreciated the spiritual aspect of the performance and commented on another piece that introduced three Chinese characters representing Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance.
“I thought that was a very inspiring message about Chinese ideals,” he said.
Reporting by Jane Lin and Sarah Le
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.
