NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Jamie Page, a reporter for The Tennessean newspaper, responded to the Shen Yun vocalists when he saw the matinee performance at Tennessee Performing Arts Center on Feb. 22. The Tennessean, over 100 years old, is the paper of record for Nashville.
“Very touching—the words are touching,” he said. The program says a lot about the traditional culture and spiritual beliefs and about not being allowed to practice these beliefs in China today, he said.
Mr. Page enjoyed all three singers, two sopranos and a tenor. He said he was particularly touched by the first soprano, Pi-Ju Huang. Her song was “Life’s True Meaning.”
“The primary trait that distinguishes the singers is their use of bel canto technique to sing Chinese text,” the Shen Yun website states. “This means that the singer must, while continuing to meet the challenges inherent in bel canto technique, retain proper Chinese pronunciation and diction.”
At the heart of the performance is classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in existence, the Shen Yun website states. Classical Chinese dance includes leaps, turns, flips, spins, and other aerial and tumbling techniques.
Mr. Page said that by reading the program book, he could follow the story-based dances as they unfolded onstage.
“It was fantastic. … I was really blown away by the costumes, and the choreography was outstanding,” Mr. Page said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. I was impressed.”
“I learned a little bit about Chinese culture and the current state of things in China,” Mr. Page said.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was established in 2006 by artists from around the world to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, nearly destroyed under 60 years of communist rule.
“I would recommend it to anyone to … get a better understanding of Chinese culture,” he said. “It’s fun to watch,” he added.
Reporting by Gao Fei and Raiatea Tahana-Reese
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.
