SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Japanese Dancer Marvels at Classical Chinese Dance in Shen Yun

Jan 18, 2020

FUCHU, Japan—Yonaguni Megumi, a dancer who does the regional folk dance known as the Okinawan dance, was amazed at the different dances performed by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Fuchu-no-Mori Art Theater on Jan. 16, 2020.

“The body movements of the male dancers are very masculine. Their jumps, backflips, and leaps are done with such skill,” Megumi said.

As for the female dancers, Megumi said their hands, feet, and all other body gestures were done with such “beauty and delicacy.”

New York-based Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception in 2006, the company has now developed into seven equal-sized companies, and they make annual tours around the world every year.

The dance form showcased by Shen Yun is called classical Chinese dance, which dated back thousands of years and based on ancient Chinese culture. According to Shen Yun’s official website, the dance is rich with expressive power, capable of “bringing out the inner meaning of thoughts and feelings” and “reflecting the peculiarities of human nature.”

The dance’s history and expressiveness resonated with Megumi. She said that she did see Chinese culture’s richness from the dances.

“Without speaking and having only dance moves, the dancers were able to communicate [with the audience] what they wanted to express. This is a high-level art performance,” Megumi said.

Before coming to see Shen Yun, Megumi stated that she wasn’t aware there were different Chinese folk dances. But now, she said these dances brought her on a trip through China, allowing her to appreciate how the Chinese have lived.

Chinese folk dances are dance forms that have been passed down among the majority Han ethnicity, according to Shen Yun. Aside from these dances, Shen Yun also showcases different ethnic dances, given how China’s population includes over 50 different ethnic groups, such as Mongolian, Tibetan, and Yi.

Megumi expressed her desire that Shen Yun performers will continue to pass on Chinese history and tradition.

Shen Yun will now continue its tour of Japanese cities of Sakai, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and Kyoto, before traveling to South Korea.

With reporting by NTDTV and Frank Fang.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the company’s inception in 2006.