VANCOUVER, British Columbia—“It was a spectacular show,” said Dr. Baker, describing the Shen Yun Performing Arts show he attended at the Queen Elizabeth Theater with his wife, Dr. Fraser.
“What I liked about the show was the tremendous variety,” said Dr. Baker.
“It’s a relatively short piece followed by another one, and it’s always introduced in both English and Chinese with everything from comedy to romance to Chinese spirituals. It’s a show I think for a wide variety of people and probably aimed at a Western audience.”
Dr. Baker helped found Simon Fraser University, contributed to the establishment of the community college system in Canada, and became first president of the University of Prince Edward Island. He is also a recipient of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Fraser said the the show was “visually magnificent. The dancing was extremely athletic and disciplined.”
Her favorite program was The Monkey King Triumphs, which tells the tale of Sun Wukong, a famous character in the Chinese novel Journey to the West.
” I thought the monkey king sequence was quite exciting, I guess I wanted athleticism.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts seeks to revive the ancient Chinese culture that has been lost since the communist regime came to power in China. Dr. Baker said he had visited mainland China in 1974 and seen the type of performances put on there.
“There was much more propaganda then. This was when Mao was still in power. So we saw things like the red army women advancing. A lot of it was strongly propaganda, no question about it.”
John Moldovanos, former owner of the Moldovanos restaurant chain in Vancouver, came to the the show on an enthusiastic recommendation from a friend. He had been to China, and developed an interest in the traditional culture while there.
“The performance was just outstanding, excellent. The music was excellent, and the clothing was excellent. It was most traditional Chinese,” he said.
After completing its seven-show run in Vancouver from April 3 to April 8, Shen Yun Performing Arts will perform in Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina.
For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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