KITCHENER-WATERLOO, Canada—Machine shop owner Bibor Muzflai, who knows all about the hard work and details involved in making parts “for anything and everything around,” was amazed at how well the Shen Yun Performing Arts production was put together when he attended opening night at Centre in the Square theatre on Tuesday.
“I enjoyed it a lot. It’s awesome, excellent,” said Mr. Muzflai, highlighting “the colour, the culture, the movements, the dancing—it’s just beautiful.”
New York-based Shen Yun has three equally large companies that tour the world every year with an all-new program of classical Chinese dance, Chinese ethnic and folk dances, and original songs and musical scores.
Its mission is to revive the traditional culture of China, a heritage 5,000 years in the making that is said to be divinely inspired, embracing deeply spiritual values such as benevolence, wisdom, honour, and reverence for the gods and the heavens.
Mr. Muzflai most enjoyed the story-based dances inspired by ancient Chinese myths and legends as well as significant events unfolding in modern China.
He liked the dragon and the Monkey King, he noted, referring to a dance that depicted a contest between good and evil and another dance that paid tribute to the beloved mystical character from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West.
Another story-based dance that made special impression on Mr. Muzflai was one that told of good being rewarded and wrongdoing being punished, a recurring theme throughout Chinese history.
“I liked that a lot,” he said about the divine beings in the story who helped the main character overcome oppression and injustice.
As for the costumes, colours, and the high-tech scenic backdrops projected behind the performers, “It’s stunning, it’s awesome, I can’t express myself, that’s how nice it is, it’s really nice,” Mr. Muzflai said.
He said he would tell his friends: “everything is great, beautiful.”
“It’s the very first time I’ve seen it and I will come back,” Mr. Muzflai said.
Don Kim, owner of Photo Master, an all-service photography business similar to Blacks, saw his first Shen Yun Performing Arts show on Tuesday night.
“There is a story behind every performance and the story is very interesting,” he said.
Every dance was impressive, and the same for every musical performance, Mr. Kim said.
Reporting by Christina Gao and Cindy Chan.
Shen Yun will be in Kitchener-Waterloo for one more performance before heading to Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for a five-show run.
For more information, please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.
