SYDNEY—Peter Kepreotes, Vice President of Technology-International for Broadcast Australia, said he was inspired by what he called the “gracious” performances by the artists of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
A technical engineer by trade, he saw the show at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on Tuesday night and said he was impressed by the projected digital backdrops. Though his professional background is technical, his response to the show was spiritual. He said, “I feel a sense of calmness, of purity, of gentleness and of spirituality, I think that’s linked with the divine.”
The backdrops allow the characters onstage to appear to interact with other worlds. He noted the innovation, “I particularly like the association with the heavens, the special effects which link the dances coming from the divine.”
“I think it’s a good reminder for humanity of where we come from and to think about how to lift our spirits higher and to think about positive things, good things. In many Western countries we always see negative messages in performances, it’s loud and derogatory and negative. This is the converse, this is uplifting.”
“Very impressive, inspiring, for Westerners we don’t have an opportunity very often to see such colourful and gracious performances,” Mr. Kepreotes said. “It’s very uplifting.”
He said he was impressed by the costumes, as well as the skill and synchronization of the dancers.
“Having so many performers be perfectly synchronized and coordinated clearly reflects a lot of practice, perseverance and rehearsal,” he said.
He enjoyed the humour of The Monkey King Outwits Pigsy which depicts a tale from the epic novel Journey to the West. He also liked the “light-hearted” feeling of Min Nan Grace, where girls in bamboo hats frolic on the shores of the South China Sea.
Mr. Kepreotes said Australia was fortunate to host Shen Yun.
“I’m very fortunate to be here. Good that the organisers remember a country like Australia, so far away, to bring such gifted performers here.
“I believe Australia is very fortunate to see authentic, classical Chinese performance.”
“So I think it is an opportunity for us to cast our minds back to some ancient history as well and to relive that.”
Reporting by De Ming and Ethan Yang.
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre through to Feb. 23. Next stop is Melbourne, March 1-6. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org