BOSTON—With just over 2 feet of snow blanketing Boston after Friday’s northeaster, the Boston Opera House seemed a fresh canvas ready for the vibrant colors and sounds of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company is visiting New England as part of its seventh annual world tour.
“We love the costumes. The costumes are beautiful. The colorations are gorgeous,” said Fabby Abbasi, who was in the audience with Michael Lagasse for the performance on Saturday, Feb. 9.
Ms. Abbasi said she was in the fashion business for many years. “Gorgeous, yes, gorgeous costumes,” she repeated, commenting on the colors. Although no longer in the fashion business, she has always been involved in some aspect of design. She particularly enjoyed the Mongolian Bowl Dance.
In that piece, as the program booklet describes, “A clear blue sky embraces the vast expanse of the northern grasslands. From their tents, Mongolian women emerge balancing bowls on their heads in a dance of welcome.
According to the Shen Yun website, “Hospitality is extremely important to the Mongolian people and also features prominently in their dances. Mongolian dances often feature bowls, wine cups, even bundles of chopsticks as dance props.”
Ms. Abbasi said of the dance, “The balance was just great to watch—how they were balancing the cups and dancing. … It was just very interesting to watch. And the costumes in that dance were phenomenal, beautiful.”
Mr. Lagasse, an engineer, also enjoyed the dances—especially the male dances. “Lots of power and energy, flips and moves,” he explained.
Chinese dance is known for its incredible flips and spins and its gentle elegance, making it one of the most rigorous and expressive art forms in the world, according to the Shen Yun website.
With reporting by Huiwen Ji and Connie Phillips.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun New York Company is performing in Boston Feb. 9–12 at the Boston Opera House. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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