WATERBURY, Conn.—A dance teacher who saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Palace Theater, on March 7, could not say enough good things about all aspects of the performance.
“We loved the use of details, use of props, fans, and all the different effects, the chopsticks dance, the athleticism, the leaps, and the graceful beauty of the [dance],” said Susan Rozelle, who owns her own dance studio in Fairfield, Conn.
“The colors were vibrant and beautiful. The stories were great. We loved the comedy to it, and the seriousness, and the stories, and the history of China. It was wonderful. It was all good. I loved the music, it was great.”
Ms. Rozelle attended Shen Yun with Jennifer Ferrigno, an occupational therapist, who said she wanted to see more. “You just didn’t want it to end. Keep dancing, keep singing!” Ms. Ferrigno said.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Millions around the world have seen the group’s acclaimed performances.
“Definitely very high skill,” said Ms. Rozelle of Shen Yun’s dancers, many of whom are international award-winners.
“High leaps, and great techniques,” she added.
The art form of classical Chinese dance is highly expressive, and the dance form is employed by Shen Yun to bring to life China’s 5,000 years of semi-divine culture.
Some of Shen Yun’s dance pieces draw on legends and stories “from the Yellow Emperor and the Tang and Song dynasties all the way to the modern day,” according to the company’s website.
Ms. Rozelle said she saw a lot of spirituality in the performances.
“I liked that connection, because I feel that dancing is godly,” she said, adding that movement and dance is a great way to educate people in America about Chinese culture.
“I think it was very colorful and fun,” said Ms. Ferrigno.
Ms. Rozelle summed up her experience: “Inspiring.” “Awesome.” “Enlightening.” “Spiritual.”
She then added “phenomenal,” referring to the erhu solo performance. Erhu is a two-stringed instrument also known as a Chinese violin. Both ladies also said they really enjoyed Shen Yun’s vocal soloists accompanied by classical piano.
Good Choreography
Wilfrid Hevey, president of Show Lighting Corp., and formerly a lighting electrician with Joffrey Ballet in New York and Chicago, said three times that Shen Yun was beautiful. He also saw the performance on March 7, together with his wife Carolyn.
Mr. Hevey said Shen Yun’s artists were “very well choreographed. No mistakes.”
Mrs. Hevey said watching the performance was “very relaxing and calming” after a hectic week.
“It was just a very nice way to end the week,” she said.
Reporting by NTD Television, Alec Wang, and Ananda West
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
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.
