KEELUNG, Taiwan—Mr. Chang Chien-hsiang supports Shen Yun both officially and as an individual. He is director of the Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau, a co-sponsor of the Shen Yun 2013 Taiwan Tour. He said, “The performance is great, it is really wonderful, it’s Keelung City’s pleasure to be able to invite Shen Yun Performing Arts to perform in Keelung.”
He spoke at Keelung Cultural Center on March 23.
Mr. Chang said, “It’s very rare to see a performing arts company that can perform classical Chinese dance so exquisitely.” After seeing Shen Yun Touring Company, he said, “Seeing the performance, we can tell that every dancer has undergone rigorous training, and all of them have brought their solid fundamental skills into full play. Their performance at the Keelung Cultural Center here is indeed a blessing for Keelung.”
Shen Yun intends to revive Chinese civilization through the universal language of music and dance. “Classical Chinese dance is a culture left to us by the ancients who came before us, its beauty should be riches shared by all of humanity, its purity should not be contaminated,” according to the Shen Yun website.
Mr. Chang felt that the artists were upholding the great heritage of Chinese dance. “The fundamental technical skills, such as jumping, leaping, turning, and lifting were demonstrated fantastically, and all of the movements were acted in great unison. It was indeed very pleasing to our eyes.”
He saw a high level of artistry, discipline and preparation in the performance.
“Every detail of their movements was well done,” said Mr. Chang. “They have undergone serious training and practice,” he added.
As to the way the music and choreography worked together, Mr. Chang said, “The synchronization of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra and the dances was so wonderful that it fully demonstrated the magnificence of the Chinese culture and traditional dancing arts. It was really very appealing and very wonderful.”
He enjoyed the music. “It was indeed a harmonious feast of sound.”
Mr. Chang thought the artists were fulfilling their mission. “The entire program was presented very exquisitely and coherently. The essence of classical Chinese dance has been fully manifested.”
This was the second time Keelung Cultural Affairs Bureau co-sponsored Shen Yun Performing Arts. Director Chang was proud of the connection. “We truly welcome high-level performing arts companies like Shen Yun to perform in Keelung. As Shen Yun has performed in various world-class theaters such as the Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, it is indeed a blessing for people in Keelung City to see it in Keelung. That’s why the Keelung City Department of Cultural Affairs invites Shen Yun to perform in Keelung.”
Before leaving, Mr. Chang said Shen Yun “can inspire people.”
To him, there is a duty to preserve the Chinese heritage. “Chinese culture needs all of us to preserve it, promote it and pass it down. As Shen Yun is promoting Chinese culture so well, and performs classical Chinese dance so exquisitely, I think we should do our level best to promote it.”
Former Dance Instructor: ‘I was deeply touched’
A former Chinese dancer surnamed Chen, who was once a teacher at the Dance Academy of the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 22.
“Everything was fantastic, including performers’ technical skills, choreography, backdrops, etc.,” she said, after seeing Shen Yun at the Keelung Cultural Center. “It is indeed a top-level performance.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, traverses the globe presenting the 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.
“In less than ten minutes each, Shen Yun dances recount ancient myths, bygone heroes, or celestial paradises,” according to the company’s website. “Whether set in the past or in contemporary China, every dance embodies traditional Chinese values. Ideals of loyalty, filial piety, and veneration for the divine are cherished and celebrated.”
Alongside classical Chinese dance, ethnic dances are a part of Shen Yun’s repertoire. Ms. Chen especially enjoyed the Tibetan dance, Dancing for the Gods.
“It perfectly illustrated the characteristics of Tibetan ethnicity, and the dance is very spirited,” she said. “The male dancers’ artistic level is very high in the areas of technical skills, form and bearing.”
Ms. Chen mentioned that Shen Yun performances are different from the shows put on by ordinary performance groups, as Shen Yun presents performing authentic classic Chinese dance, while other companies often add something strange to the dances to cater to audience’s tastes.
“What Shen Yun performs are pure classic dance pieces and the folk dances of various ethnic groups, and all of these dances have their original characteristics,” she said. “As to what performed by other troupes, they are often the combination of modern dance, Jazz dance, ballet, etc. Therefore, what presented by Shen Yun is traditional Chinese culture, with classical features.”
Accompanying the dancers is an orchestra that deftly melds both classical Western and Chinese instruments. Ms. Chen said Shen Yun is the only performing arts company she knows of that has such an accompaniment, while other companies usually play CDs.
The handcrafted costumes also caught her attention, as did the digitally animated backdrops.
“Every piece of the costumes was made exquisitely, with special design,” she said. “The brilliant costumes perfectly coordinated with the high-tech dynamic backdrops on stage. They were so vivid and lifelike.”
Having been a dance instructor teaching in a top university in China, Ms. Chen said, “Everyone would say Shen Yun is really great after seeing its performances.”
“Since I used to be a dancer, I was deeply touched after seeing the performances,” she said. “Only Shen Yun can make every audience member enjoy themselves so much.”
Ms. Chen said Shen Yun uplifts the level of artistry in artists who see the performance, and generally inspires all audience members.
“I will also recommend Shen Yun to other professional dancers,” she said, “and ask them to see the Shen Yun performance as much as possible.”
Read the original Chinese articles. [1] [2]
Reporting by Chen Yurou, Li Yun and Bill Xu
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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