FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.— “If you will have a matinee for Broward County students, I think that would be beautiful,” said Ms. Delpino, Magnet coordinator at Deerfield Beach Middle School.
Ms. Delpino and Janet Carstens, a director at one of the senior living communities in Florida, attended one of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ Saturday performances at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Feb. 11.
“I thought it was beautiful,” Ms. Carstens said. What stood out for her was the delicate nature of the dancing, she said. “And it’s so pretty, so pretty.”
Ms. Delpino, said: “I thought it was outstanding. I thought the costumes were beautiful, were fantastic. I thought the dancers were also very graceful. They articulated the story beautifully.”
Shen Yun features classical Chinese dance and music as well as folk and ethnic dance from China. Many of the dances tell stories of ancient Chinese legends and myths as well contemporary stories of courage in the face of evil.
“I loved the backdrops. I loved the special effects. I loved the orchestra. I thought they did a beautiful job,” Ms. Delpino said. “I thought it was beautiful. I would recommend anyone to come see it.”
“Absolutely!” Ms. Carstens added.
Shen Yun’s unique orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends the musical traditions and instruments of East and West.
Animated backdrops are another audience favorite. Hi-tech images of Chinese landscapes and heavenly scenes, projected behind the dancers, expand the stage, with dancers seeming to move seamlessly between the backdrop and the stage.
“I wished my students had come to see it. Maybe next year,” Ms. Delpino said.
“I particularly liked the silk sleeves. I also liked the lotus leaves and the lotus blossoms. I loved the monks. I loved the monks!” Ms. Delpino said, referring to the dances Sleeves of Silk, Lotus Leaves, and Joyful Little Monks, a light-hearted and humorous piece.
“The singer! The woman that sang!” Ms. Carstens added.
“Oh, the snowflakes! The snowflakes were also beautiful,” Ms. Delpino said, referring to the dance Snowflakes Welcoming Spring.
Ms. Carstens said she thought one of the themes of the performance was “the right for people to believe in what they would like to believe—without being persecuted.” She was referring to The Choice and The Dafa Practitioner’s Magical Encounter, two dances that illustrate the plight of Falun Dafa practitioners, who are persecuted for their beliefs by the communist regime in China.
Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company gave four performances at the Broward Center, Feb. 10–12. Shen Yun’s next Florida performance is scheduled for March 3–4 at the Straz Center in Tampa.
Reporting by Victoria Wu and Louise Rothman.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
