SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Media Executive Rates Shen Yun 20 out of 10

Apr 20, 2013
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Media Executive Rates Shen Yun 20 out of 10
People wait around the fountain at Lincoln Center for the opening of Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan 11, 2012. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—Shomik Chaudhuri, chief operating officer at Parikh Wordwide Media, was very excited about Shen Yun Performing Arts—he gave it an off-the-charts rating.

“If I were to grade it 1–10, 10 being excellent, I'll give it a 20,” Mr. Shomik said after the performance at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater. He watched the first of 11 shows Saturday afternoon on April 20 with his wife. 

Parikh Worldwide Media is the largest Indian-American newspaper in the United States, according to its website.

New York-based Shen Yun came together in 2006 with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with dance, music and a digitally animated backdrop, according to the company’s website.

This year’s performance features 22 different dance pieces, interspersed with songs. 

“In less than ten minutes each, Shen Yun dances recount ancient myths, bygone heroes, or celestial paradises,” according to the Shen Yun website.

Mr. Chaudhuri said that he appreciated Shen Yun.

“I think it was unbelievable,” he said. “It was fantastic. It was surreal. It was unbelievable. It was poetry in motion—everything was so perfect—so beautiful it is unbelievable. I am very glad that I was part of this today,” Mr. Chaudhuri added.

Shen Yun at first glance is sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra melding both classical Western and Chinese instruments, handmade costumes, and digital backdrops. Yet looking deeper, there is more. 

“Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience,” explains the company’s website.

Mr. Chaudhuri was especially touched by these spiritual elements, such as those represented in the piece Divine Mercy

“It shows that even today by spiritual force, by spiritual energy, we can overturn the negative forces that have been engulfing the entire world,” he said. The dance piece “was a very, very touching moment” and showed him “there is still hope for the world.”

Mr. Chaudhuri was grateful that Shen Yun performed at Lincoln Center and regrets that it is not able to perform in China. 

“Shen Yun is based in New York where its artistic creators are able to freely express themselves and revive their ancient Chinese culture,” according to Shen Yun’s website. “Such artistic freedom is unfortunately not present in China under the communist regime, which has co-opted and destroyed traditional arts. The courage and outspokenness of our artists is one of the reasons why Shen Yun is so well-loved.”

Lincoln Center, while Shen Yun is performing, is a great place to see the Chinese culture, according to Mr. Chaudhuri.

“This is a perfect place for people to see and realize how beautiful culture exists in the world,” he said. 

Reporting by NTD Television and Valentin Schmid.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

Shen Yun Performing Arts is performing at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center from April 20–28.

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.