GWACHEON, Korea—“This is a show that ushers in new trends,” said Jung Yuna, director of the Ballad Department of the Female Korean Traditional Performing Arts, after she watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at Gwacheon’s Citizen Hall in South Korea, Feb. 12.
Seeing the show along with her teacher, Mr. Lee Chunhee, a Korean traditional music master, Ms. Jung spoke highly of the entire performance. “I have never seen a show like this,“ she said. ”Through the animated backdrops, costumes, and dancers’ performances, people can understand the plots without any interpretations. The show is very brilliant. The program The Lotus Fairies impressed me the most.”
Dynamic Songs Touch People’s Hearts
As an expert of Korean traditional music, Ms. Jung was enthralled by soprano Min Jiang’s solo performance. “Min Jiang’s singing is so powerful; she is really remarkable. I totally forgot other performances as I listened. The lyrics are also really good.”
She also praised Shen Yun for touching people’s hearts. “Although I have seen so many exotic performances, this is my first time watching one like this,“ she said. ”It is not easy to touch people’s heart, and it is my pleasure to watch such an impressive show. It makes my heart feel very peaceful.”
“The vocalization of bel canto is different from the ballad in traditional Korean music,“ she added. ”The treble of their vocals are clear and neat through their vocalizations. This will be the inspiration that gives birth to a new genre.”
Creative Music Results in New Trends
Ms. Jung admired Shen Yun’s combination of Western and Eastern musical instruments. She said, “I thought it would be dissonant, as it is quite difficult to synchronize the music played by Western and Eastern instruments at the same time. I was worried about whether the sound would be harmonious. But surprisingly, the sound turned out to be very neat and euphonious.”
She said that Shen Yun is creating a new artistic trend, and that “The show is not only fancy, but also inspiring. I think it is a show creating a new trend and generating a new genre, which is different from opera or other dance performances.”
In lieu of the fact that Shen Yun cannot perform in mainland China today, she expressed her regret. “Due to the Chinese communist regime’s autocracy, Chinese people cannot see the performances of their own culture,“ she said. ”This is really something very sad because Shen Yun is really a wonderful show.”
Reporting by Li Zhen and Fleur L
Read the Chinese article.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
