BUFFALO, N.Y.—Marilyn Ciancio has had a long history of active work in the arts and community initiatives that promote the arts. She was the producer and host of Artscope, which aired on Time Warner television for 14 years, and has also worked as an arts correspondent for a talk show.
Ms. Ciancio, who was named a 2005 New York State Woman of Distinction, which honors women in New York State who exemplify personal excellence, took in Shen Yun Performing Arts at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo on Friday, May 11.
The performance, Ms. Ciancio said, is “the most professional, and beautiful, inspiring kind of production that I’ve seen for dance and history.”
Featuring colorful and exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music, New York-based Shen Yun presents traditional Chinese culture “as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled form the five millennia of Chinese civilization,” according to the Shen Yun website.
For Ms. Ciancio, the show was simply “magnificent.”
“It’s just emotionally moving, and the spontaneity of it all; the choreography is beautiful, the costumes are great, and they’re spontaneous and synchronized perfectly,” Ms. Ciancio said.
She appreciated learning about China’s history and culture through the show, and praised the show’s emcees who provided background information about each scene.
