PASADENA, Calif.—Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company returned to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles County on Friday evening, April 29, for the second of its four-show run.
Alex Smith, a financial director for a government agency in the State of California, attended the show with his 12-year-old daughter. Both enjoyed the magical performance.
“I thought it was a great show,” said Mr. Smith. “It was beautiful, it was athletic. There was a lot of drama, the spiritual—I enjoyed it.”
He particularly liked the dance Plum Blossom, saying, “It was just very visually exciting to watch.”
The Shen Yun program eloquently describes the Plum Blossom dance. “The plum blossom is greatly loved by the Chinese people. Though small and delicate, it displays resilience amidst adversity, blooming even in snow. No matter how much the wind stirs the branches, the blossoms never wilt nor lose their beauty. They offer an unfailing promise of spring.”
He was impressed with the stamina and endurance of the dancers, saying they were very talented, and very agile and skilled.
“I enjoyed how they were so light on their feet. A lot of times they just appeared to be floating, without walking,” laughed Mr. Smith.
Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends East and West like no other. The distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments like the erhu and the pipa are bathed in a rich sea of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass, the company website says.
Mr. Smith said he enjoyed the music: “They [the instruments] had unique sounds that I am not familiar with. Some of the Chinese instruments were very beautiful.”
He said that the stories form an important part of the show. “It adds to the ambiance, atmosphere and the feel,” and, “The music helps tell the story,” added Mr. Smith.
He was also impressed by the universal values expressed: “I thought that was the most important part of the performance. I enjoyed it the most. Peace, honesty, human rights.”
Not surprisingly, Mr. Smith’s daughter enjoyed the hundreds of handmade, colorful costumes. “It was fun,” she said, ”It looks hard. I liked it, I learned a lot.”
Reporting by Michael Ye and Ron Champagne.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts will perform in Escondido, San Diego, at the California Center for the Arts, May 3-5, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, May 6-8. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Alex Smith, a financial director for a government agency in the State of California, attended the show with his 12-year-old daughter. Both enjoyed the magical performance.
“I thought it was a great show,” said Mr. Smith. “It was beautiful, it was athletic. There was a lot of drama, the spiritual—I enjoyed it.”
He particularly liked the dance Plum Blossom, saying, “It was just very visually exciting to watch.”
The Shen Yun program eloquently describes the Plum Blossom dance. “The plum blossom is greatly loved by the Chinese people. Though small and delicate, it displays resilience amidst adversity, blooming even in snow. No matter how much the wind stirs the branches, the blossoms never wilt nor lose their beauty. They offer an unfailing promise of spring.”
He was impressed with the stamina and endurance of the dancers, saying they were very talented, and very agile and skilled.
“I enjoyed how they were so light on their feet. A lot of times they just appeared to be floating, without walking,” laughed Mr. Smith.
Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends East and West like no other. The distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments like the erhu and the pipa are bathed in a rich sea of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass, the company website says.
Mr. Smith said he enjoyed the music: “They [the instruments] had unique sounds that I am not familiar with. Some of the Chinese instruments were very beautiful.”
He said that the stories form an important part of the show. “It adds to the ambiance, atmosphere and the feel,” and, “The music helps tell the story,” added Mr. Smith.
He was also impressed by the universal values expressed: “I thought that was the most important part of the performance. I enjoyed it the most. Peace, honesty, human rights.”
Not surprisingly, Mr. Smith’s daughter enjoyed the hundreds of handmade, colorful costumes. “It was fun,” she said, ”It looks hard. I liked it, I learned a lot.”
Reporting by Michael Ye and Ron Champagne.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts will perform in Escondido, San Diego, at the California Center for the Arts, May 3-5, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, May 6-8. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
