DALLAS—The final performance in Dallas of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company was presented at the Winspear Opera House on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 18.
Cristin Payne brought her grandmother, Betty Brewer, to the show as a Christmas present.
Ms. Brewer, who said, “Show business means a lot to me,” and was in “a six-girl high act,” called Shen Yun’s performers “very precise, very beautiful, [and] wonderful,” adding that she “appreciates all that.”
Overall, she said the performance was “peaceful but energetic” and she added that the orchestra was “very soothing.”
Shen Yun, according to its website, has an orchestra that blends Western classical and Chinese instruments, creating a unique musical fusion to accompany each performance.
Ms. Payne said she was “awestruck” by the overall precision of the dancers. “There’s no room for error, they’re exactly on cue, everything’s perfect, and the music is very beautiful,” she noted.
Classical Chinese dance is the main mode of dance performed by the New York-based company. According to its website, classical Chinese dance “has a long history of thousands of years, passed down continuously within the imperial palace and ancient Chinese theater and opera.”
Over time, the form was used to express the inner meanings of China’s culture, which is 5,000 years old. It requires the dancers to master “bearing, form, and technical skill” and demands rigorous and difficult training, the company says.
Shen Yun’s message resonated with her as well. “I’m glad to see that it’s truthful. Telling the real story,” she said.
A number of pieces depict the modern-day human rights situation in mainland China, showing the persecution of Falun Gong, a peaceful meditation practice that has been the target of the Chinese regime for the past 12 years.
Ms. Payne said that the show’s overall message is “the beauty of China.”
With reporting by Catherine Yang and Jack Phillips.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will next perform at Houston’s Jones Hall, from Wednesday, Dec. 21 through Tuesday, Dec. 27. For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
