HAMILTON, Canada—Syd Bolton has the largest video game collection in Canada, he created a computer museum, and he’s long been a noted tech commentator and writer with a long list of accomplishments in the tech sphere.
So it’s understandable he would be somewhat preoccupied by digitally projected backdrops, an innovation in the world of dance that has been pioneered by Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Bolton took in Shen Yun’s first performance in Canada as part of its 2015 world tour at Hamilton Place Theatre on Saturday night.
“I think it’s amazing,” Mr. Bolton said of the performance.
Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company, famous for its bright costumes, an orchestra that combines classical Western and Chinese instruments, and, of course, its projected backdrop.
Mr. Bolton said he was paying attention to all the technology being used in the show.
“I know maybe I shouldn’t be doing that, I should just be enjoying myself, but I can’t help but watch that,” he said. “I’m very impressed.”
“I loved how there was an integration of both technology and dance together and I thought it was very well choreographed,” he added.
He noted his joy with the dance called The Fable of the Magic Brush which tells the tale of a young painter gifted a magical brush from a mysterious woman he protects from a band of ruffians.
The brush turns whatever he paints into life.
It’s the kind of magic that truly comes to life with the help of Shen Yun’s vividly animated backdrops.
The movements of the dancers on the stage and even the strokes of the brush are synchronized with the scenes on the backdrop, a feat Mr. Bolton said wasn’t easy.
“It went off without a hitch, which is very difficult. I don’t think a lot of people realize how difficult it is to get that just perfect.”
But the performance was more than entertaining, he said. Many of the ideas and stories had left him wanting to know more, and Mr. Bolton said he planned to do more research when he got home.
“I find it very fascinating. In addition to being extremely entertaining, I found the show to be educational,” he said.
Shen Yun also opened his eyes to the vastness of traditional Chinese culture, a culture he thought not many Westerners realized was as old and significant as it is. He was leaving with a better understanding of how that culture evolved over the years, he said.
There were also ideals and principles that he thought were universal, like the ideal of “truth and justice.”
“I think that’s a thing that all humans should strive for,” he said.
“I really enjoyed the colours too, there’s a lot of colours here tonight and that’s really amazing to see and something you don’t really think about.”
When asked how he would describe the performance that night, he said “absolutely incredible and amazing.”
“It’s a great show. Everyone should come out and check this out. It’s wonderful.”
Founded in 2006, New York-based Shen Yun has seen rapid growth. As a part of its 2015 world tour, Shen Yun Performing Arts is performing in over 100 cities on five continents.
Reporting by NTD Television
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
