TAINAN, Taiwan—An artist expressed a deeper interpretation of Shen Yun’s choreography than most people can. “The dancing comes from heaven. Not everyone can see it,” said Mr. Wu Feng-Ming, after seeing Shen Yun Touring Company at Tainan Municipal Cultural Center on March 14.
Mr. Wu saw the choreography in a different light than others: “I study I-Ching ( Book of Changes) and I realized that the entire choreography design was a matrix. The structure and the image the artists formed almost all follow the Taoist method. I was enchanted the minute I saw it.”
The artists were very special to him. “I feel that the young dancers are fairies or little messengers, who divine beings summoned a long time ago, and sent to earth to save us from this time of history,” said Mr. Wu.
He felt that the artists of Shen Yun are truly on a mission. “These artists are promoting divine teachings in the form of art. They are telling the people of the world how precious and priceless the divine teachings are,” Wu said.
“Shen Yun, the name itself means that it is the highest form of everything,” Mr. Wu said.
Mr. Wu is a painter who holds a Master’s degree in western painting. He owns an art gallery.
The artists’ spectacular performance at Tainan Municipal Cultural Center seemed to him to be a remarkable gift. Mr. Wu said, “In the past, only the emperors and his prime ministers and officials were able to savor such dances from celestial maidens. It’s such a blessing that I can see it here.”
The digital projections worked wonders, in Wu’s opinion. He said, “The images on the backdrop interact with the dance movements. The visual design is highly creative and amazing. The music, the artists, and the backdrop animations together bring out a marvelous drama.”
Perfect Combination of Poetry, Music, and Dance
Mr. Huang Jin-Lian attended Shen Yun Performing Art’s performance on the evening on March 14. Mr. Huang is a Taiwanese poet and the chief editor of Haiweng Taiwanese Literature Magazine. In response to the performance at Tainan Municipal Cultural Center, he said that he felt poetry in the dance and music programs and that Shen Yun “perfectly combines poetry, music, and dance.”
Mr. Huang said, “Shen Yun reenacts the music and dances that once only belonged in ancient Chinese palaces. The programs contain Chinese traditional elements.”
Mr. Huang captured the spirit of Shen Yun’s purpose: to revive the 5,000 year old Chinese civilization.
Impressed by the high tech digital projection, which makes the figures on the backdrop seem to come magically to life, he said, “Unbelievable! Very creative and novel!”
Being a scholar of classical Chinese poetry, Huang said that he “felt the scent of classical poetry from the dancing and singing, especially the dancing movements.” He was pleased by how Shen Yun blended poetry, dance, and music. “It made me feel comfortable, relaxed, and happy,” he said.
Mr. Huang saw a deeper meaning in the presentation of Flowing Sand River in Sand Monk Is Blessed, a story from the classic novel Journey to the West: “Most people may see only the surface, but some see more. The river is a metaphor of respect for divine beings.”
Mr. Huang studied music in school and said he admired the superb singing skills and amazing voices of Shen Yun’s baritone and tenor, “They are the true vocalists!”
Reporting by Teh-Man Tai , Tsai-Wen Huang and Hsin-Yi Lin.
Read the original Chinese article. [1] [2]
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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