BERLIN, Germany—Real estate manager Wolfgang Hoffmann and Lara Döring were impressed by
Shen Yun Performing Arts at Theater am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on April 20.
“I liked it very much. I was very impressed with the colors, with the animation, with the choreography, with the movements, with the synchronization … I thought it was very beautiful,” Mr. Hoffmann said.
Ms. Döring, who is a student in the ninth grade, also thought highly of the
performance.
“It was a beautiful experience,” she said.
Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese
dance company. Along with folk dances and solo performances, the production depicts story-based pieces that tell tales from China’s ancient times to modern-day.
“I think what impressed me the most was actually the stage design … the images with the landscapes … the traditional architecture … in connection with the choreographies,” Mr. Hoffmann said.
Shen Yun utilizes a patented digital backdrop that transports the theatre audience beyond the stage into the ancient wonders of China. The company’s animated backdrop technology allows the performers to seamlessly travel back and forth between the stage and the projected scenery.
Shen Yun aims to revive China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture, which has been on the brink of extinction since the
Chinese communist regime seized power in 1949. Shen Yun says its performance this year demonstrates “China before communism.”
“That has become clearer to me now, what a rich tradition there actually existed, which unfortunately today can probably no longer be lived in China,” Mr. Hoffman said.
He added that knowing this, the stories expounding on current events
in China “touched the heart more deeply.”
Mr. Hoffmann said he was very grateful to be able to attend live performances again after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
“We are very, very happy and grateful that we can do something like this again. We missed that very much and I hope it stays that way now.”
“This evening will certainly be remembered … I think it was something special, and it will be remembered for a long time,” he said.
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Schneider.
