CALGARY, Alberta—“The precision is remarkable, the performers are full of energy— they just shine, they’re radiant.”
This is how Ms. Forrest, a dance specialist, described the dancers in the Shen Yun Performing Arts show she attended with her son on Sunday night at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.
“I think it’s wonderful that they present the ancient dances,” said Ms. Forrest, adding that she was surprised to learn that the authentic classical Chinese dance and art forms have been suppressed in China.
Ms. Forrest was the artistic director of an Alberta dance company for 12 years. She has extensive dance training and a background as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer in the disciplines of modern, creative dance and jazz. For the past 15 years she has taught in schools as a dance specialist.
Ms. Forrest said she found the classical dances “beautiful, they’re really interesting, they’re very rhythmical, very intricate. They have a lovely flow rhythm.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts (formerly Divine Performing Arts) is a New York-based dance and theatre company that seeks to revive ancient Chinese culture through the performing arts and present it to audiences around the world.
“I can’t believe the amount of money that went into the costumes, the fabric. I mean I have never seen so much fabric in one performance,” said Ms. Forrest.
“I liked it, how well it was rehearsed, and the costumes were great,” said her son, Corbin.
“I felt the same, it was really well rehearsed,” said Ms. Forrest, adding that she was especially impressed by the soprano, Bai Xue.
“I am not a singing aficionado, but I could tell that she had a very excellent facility, as they say. I know enough about opera to know that the facility was very well trained. It was beautiful. Coupled with the backdrops, they really create an environment with the scenery. They really have a knack for creating an environment. So even though it was just the singer on stage, it felt much more because of the projections.”
The animated backdrops, unique to Shen Yun, are custom-designed to coordinate with the costumes, choreography, lighting, and storyline for each performance.
After Calgary, Shen Yun will perform in Edmonton on April 15 and April 16 and Regina on April 19.
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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