NEW YORK—Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company was welcomed by a full house for its first of 10 shows at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theatre on Jan. 10.
“We both thought it was wonderful. The colors, the music, the dance—it was just magnificent,” said Peter Bee, founder of Bee Ready Fishbein Hatton & Donovan, LLP, who was joined by his wife, Marianne Bee.
“I always find it fascinating to compare the similarities, and the differences, between cultures. And I thought this production brought that out,” he said. “There are things that were similar to Western dance, things that were very different, and I think they did just a wonderful job in presenting it.”
Shen Yun features world-renowned classically trained dancers, choreographers, vocal soloists, and musicians of both classical Western and Chinese instruments.
Both said they enjoyed the performance’s presentation of China’s traditional divine culture—something Shen Yun, a nonprofit company based in New York, has set out to revive.
Mr. Bee said he and his wife had been studying the idea of Fa, or “Buddha Law,” and China’s culture for cultivating character. He said, “I thought it was very interesting to watch the presentation of the Buddhist influence and the various cultures within China over its different geographies and histories.”
He added that the presentation of the stories was also well done. “Just the movements of the dance: the athleticism, the tumbling, the leaps, I found that very interesting to watch,” he said. “The dance was very reflective of the stories that they told.”
The dancers of Shen Yun are trained in classical Chinese dance, as well as Chinese ethnic and folk dance. Classical Chinese dance is unique for its broad expressive qualities, which allow performers to portray nearly any character from any age. The dance form also includes a large set of movements, from subtle hand gestures to leaps and flips.
Mrs. Bee said: “I just enjoyed the show very much. It was just a wonderful presentation.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Joshua Philipp
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.
