Mr. Kirkham, a bank manager and city counselor, and his wife, a dance instructor, were given tickets to the show as a gift by their children.
“I think the costuming and the spectaclar aspect of it are phenomenal. The dancers make their work look much easier than it is. The audience has no idea how difficult what they are doing really is. The technique and precision of their spacing is unbelievable,” said Mrs. Kirkham.
“I work with children and with young people who dance, and I know how difficult it is for them to have that special awareness,” she added.
The dynamic, signature backdrops give the show a three-dimensional quality that the Kirkhams appreciated.
“I thought that the backdrops were well-suited for each number. The interesting concept of the people floating out of the sky—I hadn’t seen that concept before.”
The Shen Yun orchestra uses both traditional Chinese and Western instruments to provide a unique musical experience. Ms. Kirkham said she loved the music, and although she doesn’t know anything about Chinese instruments, she found the music was “very restful, a restful sound.”
All the songs are sung in Chinese so the words are translated into English and are projected onto the backdrop. Mr. Kirkham said he could feel the “emotion and passion” in the voices of the singers.
“It felt that when the people were singing they sang with such conviction,” he said.
“I closed my eyes and just listened. Even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, it was so moving and so powerful.”
In parting, Mr. Kirkham said he wanted to know more about the situation for Falun Gong practitioners in China. Ths show has two dances depicting the persecution of Falun Gong, a traditional spiritual practice outlawed by the Chinese regime in 1999.
“I am sure that there were a lot of people in the audience who already had an appreciation for what the [message] was all about. That was new to us. We came for the dance, and very much enjoyed the dance. But now that we leave, we leave thinking that we need to look into this. It definitely created a curiosity, and we will now do some research.”
Mrs. Kirkham felt “inspired to go back to my little people, my dancers, and let them know what is out there, because it is so much more than we think sometimes.”
After completing its seven-show run in Vancouver from April 3 to April 8, Shen Yun will perform in Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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