“It is wonderful ... particularly the projection, when someone is moving in the projection and suddenly comes alive on the stage. The reproduction of the image from screen to reality is wonderful, particularly when those girls disappeared into the distance. It’s just beautifully thought out—obviously very—whoever produced the production,” Ms. Pearson said.
She admitted that she didn’t know very much about Chinese culture before arriving, but enjoyed listening and watching the stories unfold in classical, ethnic and traditional dance, song and music.
“I feel you don’t have to know anything about it. You can just sit back and enjoy the music and the movement, and nothing is too long and boring, you know this seems to be telling a story in every movement.”
As a professional dance teacher, Ms. Pearson admired the discipline of the dancers. All the jumping, turning, and flipping techniques, along with the exquisiteness of bearing and form, give classical Chinese dance expressivity that transcends ethnic, cultural and even linguistic barriers, states the company’s website.
“They are so disciplined and so are the formations, and every single movement is obviously so even, and well-rehearsed,” she said. “They work together so well.”
Her daughter, Nicole Sharp, was also “very pleasantly surprised.” “I came without much knowledge of the company, without expectations. So for me, it is interesting learning about the culture told through dance; it is beautiful. To sit there and see it told through these interesting stories, you can relate to it.”
Ms. Sharp also saw how the costumes were used to flow and accentuate a dancer’s movements.
“I think they’re tools as well, like the sleeves [aerial] patterns [they made] are beautiful. The uniformity, they work so well together, and a team so well-rehearsed that it’s just seamless.”
She was also impressed by the male dancers.
“To see so many male dancers on stage is already seeing so much energy of the boys, performing so well up there is fantastic. It’s such beauty and it makes us want to go back to the studio and rehearse our dances a lot more,” she said.
“I think it’s nice to see traditional history and methods of dance incorporated with modern technology, projection and incorporating fun into it, as well as making it entertaining,” Ms. Sharp said. Her memories of the colour, the energy and gracefulness of the dancers will remain for some time yet.
Reporting by De Ming and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will be in Sydney Australia through May 6.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
