COSTA MESA, Calif.—Interior designer Tamara Stratton was inspired by the visual and sensual feast offered by Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“The dance, the color, the history, the storytelling, the music,” Stratton said. “It’s amazing. Beautiful. And really just engaging altogether.”
Stratton saw the performance with her friends at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, on April 27.The classical Chinese dance company is currently touring the world, sharing the beauty of 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through a program containing dance vignettes, musical soloists, and dance-based storytelling.
“They’re beautiful in of themselves, but also the dance is just so amazing,” she said.
“You could just imagine the amount of training and the amount of expertise it takes to execute such beautiful moves.”
The athleticism of the male dancers, who perform difficult flips and tumbling techniques, also impressed the designer.Shen Yun dancers are experts in classical Chinese dance and various ethnic and folk dance styles.
Classical Chinese dance, developed over thousands of years, is a complete dance system involving a diverse set of movements and expressions combined with various flips and tumbling techniques. It sits alongside ballet as one of the most complex dance systems in the world.
“The dancers themselves are pieces of art, really. Their bodies, their faces, their moves just pull you in and really entertain you altogether,” she said.
But it wasn’t just the dancers. The designer was also bedazzled by the vibrancy of the performance.“I think in every way it’s a well put together show in the sense that colors just engage you into the storytelling,” Stratton said.
“I feel that the vibrancy of the colors represent nature really well. And it feels like spring blossoming. Like flowers growing.”
“The way the colors come together, and they represent flowers kind of in bloom. Growth and fresh nature. Beautiful. Just amazing.”
Stratton said the colors also brought forth the distinct aspects of traditional Chinese culture.“They do have a cultural sense about them. They’re different. They’re more striking and out of the ordinary,” she said.
“And you can see the gold and the colors representing different levels of society. Different types of roles in society.”
The designer said she was so glad that she brought her friends to see the performance.“I would tell anyone: Please come. It’s worth seeing. It’s definitely an experience not to miss,” Stratton said.
“If you love beauty, come to this show.”
With reporting by NTD Television.
