ROCHESTER, N.Y.—Wednesday April 30 was the third time Kenneth Hann came to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts. The world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company was at the Rochester Auditorium Theatre performing its second and final show in Rochester this year.
“I like it very much; the color, the movement, the dancing,” Mr. Hann said about Shen Yun.
Mr. Hann, retired, who also does some dancing himself, said Shen Yun’s dances are graceful. Based in New York, Shen Yun features classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form known for its incredible flips and spins, and its gentle elegance. The company also has performances of folk and ethnic dances from different parts of China.
Commenting on the dances, Mr. Hann said the dancers have both power and grace.
“Very graceful, smooth, and yet there is a definite difference between masculine and the feminine,” he said.
Mr. Hann also praised the music in Shen Yun, performed by the Shen Yun Orchestra to accompany the dances on stage.
“It’s great … I liked them a lot,” he said.
Educating
Connie Mansour, who owns an organic food business and also plays the piano, said Shen Yun is spectacular.
“The choreography was top notch, and I like the way that they integrated the montage in the back,” she said, referring to the animated digital backdrops used in the performance.
Ms. Mansour said the show also informed her about the present situation in modern China.
“I had no idea about the restrictions in China in terms of the cultural arts and the religious freedom, and I had an idea about it, but this show really put that to light, in an artistic and educational way,” she said.
In fact, she was so moved by one of the dance scenes that shows the persecution of a mother and daughter in China for their belief in Falun Gong, that she “almost started crying.”
“I felt very excited and a little bit frustrated for any Chinese who do want to have cultural and artistic expression in China, but feel they’re not able to get out of the [restriction],” she said.
Shen Yun has taken it as its mission to revive China’s divinely inspired culture. Shen Yun’s dance performances feature story lines from ancient Chinese legends to modern times in China.
With reporting by Hannah Cai and Madalina Hubert
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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.
