LOS ANGELES—Millions around the globe have been impressed by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ original, brand-new production every year, featuring story-based dance and music that transport audiences on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
Similarly, Professor Don Zirpola was delighted to see Shen Yun’s production at the Microsoft Theater on April 24.
“It’s very good,” he said after watching the performance. “It’s very nice. I liked it very much.”
Professor Zirpola works at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and is an award-winning professional in the entertainment industry with over 36 years of experience as a producer, director, writer, and editor working for many companies, including Universal, PBS and ABC TV. His latest efforts are in new media creation and distribution where he holds workshops on international producing, directing, and advanced production. He has served on juries in countries on almost every continent.
His work has garnered many awards in documentaries, short films, and commercials, including the CINE Golden Eagle Award and BEA Production Award.
Having his life immersed in teaching producing and directing, Professor Zirpola appreciated Shen Yun’s beautiful staging and the talent of its performers.
According to Shen Yun’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.”
“It’s very colorful, the musicians are great, and the dancers are first-rate,” said Professor Zirpola.
As an educator, Professor Zirpola appreciated the educational aspects of Shen Yun, and he was moved by the spirituality of traditional Chinese culture and beliefs portrayed in the performance.
Shen Yun’s artists use classical Chinese dance to tell a variety of stories, from the legend of the Yellow Emperor descending from heaven to reign, a fantastic tale of the Monkey King’s quest to the bottom of the ocean, through to modern-day stories of courage and steadfast faith.
Falun Dafa is a spiritual meditation practice that espouses truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. But the communist regime has brutally persecuted the practice, arresting, illegally detaining, torturing Falun Gong practitioners.
Professor Zirpola said, “I found this show to be very moving. It has a lot to offer for people who don’t know anything about China.”
He said it was very interesting for him even though he has visited China before.
Professor Zirpola said he would recommend Shen Yun to his friends and students: “I think they could learn a lot about choreography; the choreography of movement, [and] the choreography of color. That’s very good.”
Reporting by Jana Li and Thanh 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.
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.
