Museum Board Members Recommend Shen Yun: ‘Definitely’

“I think the dancing is beautiful. The costumes are magnificent,” said Dr. Hudak, who is also a surgeon.
Museum Board Members Recommend Shen Yun: ‘Definitely’
Tom and Mary Hudak attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Ikeda Theater on Feb. 28. (Flora Ge/The Epoch Times)
3/1/2013
Updated:
10/1/2015
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Tom and Mary Hudak attend Shen Yun

MESA, Ariz.—Mary and Tom Hudak, both board members of the Heard Museum of American Indian Art in downtown Phoenix, were impressed after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Ikeda Theater Feb. 28.

“I think the dancing is beautiful. The costumes are magnificent,” said Dr. Hudak, who is also a surgeon. “It just makes it very enjoyable to watch.”

Shen Yun is a New York-based classical Chinese music and dance company that is currently in the midst of its 2013 season with three separate companies simultaneously touring North America, Europe, and Asia.

Through a collection of pieces no longer than 10 minutes each, Shen Yun transports audiences to ancient lands and times by portraying myths, heroes, and celestial paradises. “Whether set in the past or contemporary China, every dance embodies traditional Chinese values,” according the Shen Yun website.

Mrs. Hudak, an office manager, enjoyed the English- and Chinese-speaking emcees who explained the historical and cultural significance before each piece. “It is very well done,” she said.

She noted that the female dancers of Shen Yun are more athletic than those she has seen in ballet.
Dr. Hudak agreed, adding that the male dancers were quite athletic, too. “The whole thing is beautifully choreographed,” he said.

Mrs. Hudak particularly enjoyed Dancing for the Gods, which features energetic, male dancers wearing traditional Tibetan long khata sleeves. “The dancers’ crisp footwork and waving sleeves showcase the energy, power, and grace of traditional Tibetan dance,” according to Shen Yun’s website.

“That was beautiful,” Mrs. Hudak said. “The stories are lovely too. Like [An] Unexpected Encounter,“ she said.

She was referring to a piece set in contemporary China in which a father and daughter, who are tourists visiting China, are accidentally arrested and thrown in jail along with other persecuted people who practice Falun Dafa.

Mrs. Hudak said that that piece was an honest portrayal of today’s China. “Hopefully they will be able to show [Shen Yun] in China,” she said.

Dr. Hudak, added, “There is too much limitation on what you can show over there.”

Both Dr. and Mrs. Hudak responded in unison, when asked if they would recommend the performance.
“Yes, definitely,” they said.

“I enjoyed it immensely,” Dr. Hudak said.

Reporting from Flora Ge and Albert Roman.

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

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