Company Director: Shen Yun ‘Beautifully Choreographed’

Mr. Schirn found the ancient Chinese two-stringed instrument, the erhu, “very interesting, [and a] very accomplished player.”
Company Director: Shen Yun ‘Beautifully Choreographed’
The property company director Mr. Schirn at Shen Yun Performing Arts in London. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)
4/8/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Mary_09042011_property+director.JPG" alt="The property company director Mr. Schirn at Shen Yun Performing Arts in London. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)" title="The property company director Mr. Schirn at Shen Yun Performing Arts in London. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1805842"/></a>
The property company director Mr. Schirn at Shen Yun Performing Arts in London. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)
LONDON—Many aspects of Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company’s classical Chinese dance and music show, staged at The London Coliseum, impressed Mike Schirn.

The property company director was taking in the colourful and exhilarating New York-based company’s performance on Saturday evening, April 9.

He was most impressed by the synchronization of the artists and how they came together as one body.

“I thought it was beautifully choreographed,“ Mr. Schirn said. ”One of the things that impressed me was the company ... how well they acted together. So you didn’t get an impression of a company of chorus and stars. You got an impression of a whole company working together—especially I thought the costumes were wonderful.”

Hundreds of colourful costumes and intricately decorated headdresses are handmade, spanning China’s numerous dynasties, ethnicities and regions.

“Beautiful costumes, but the women are beautiful,” Mr. Schirn added.

He was also impressed by the agility of the male dancers and the number performing on stage.

“It’s unusual because very often, even in ballet, you’re always short of men dancers against the women. There is a good complement of male dancers, extremely flexible. I thought they did a wonderful job.”

Mr. Schirn found the ancient Chinese two-stringed instrument, the erhu, “very interesting, [and a] very accomplished player.”

What the solo erhu virtuoso did with two strings was the same sound produced from five or six strings, “like a multi-stringed instrument,” he said.

Mr. Schirn was equally impressed by the ground-breaking music of the Shen Yun Orchestra, a fusion of ancient Chinese and classical Western instruments in all original composition.

Another unique aspect of Shen Yun that he enjoyed was the hi-tech digital backdrops that transports the audience to celestial realms, and across landscapes, such as fields of blooming plum trees filled with pink blossoms that hold the promise of a fruitful season.

“Yes, that was quite interesting,” Mr. Schirn surmised. “I like that the way they did that.”

Reporting by Mary Mann and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.

Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at The London Coliseum until April 10 and then in The Hague, Netherlands, at the Lucent Danstheater, on April 12-14. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

 


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