TAIPEI, Taiwan—Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company gave its first performance in Taipei, at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, on the evening of Feb. 25. Gu Yaren, an oil painter that expresses oriental culture with Western painting skills, was impressed with the exquisite performance and described Shen Yun as a rarity.
“Shen Yun is a way to present onstage traditional Chinese culture. Chinese people talk about dance principles of hand gestures, eye contact, bearing, step movements, while a large-scale performance like Shen Yun presents such subtlety. For example, their costumes are well-made, and the Han couture presents a particular elegance.”
Through dance, song, and live orchestral music, the performance brings to life legends and heroes from China’s long and rich history.
“The colors are also vibrant and various, very special. Besides, traditional arts are connected with modern acoustic and visual effects. The performance should be recommended to many. If possible, everyone should come to the exceptional show,” he said.
Mr. Gu added, “Today I want to get some inspiration from Shen Yun.”
“The Qing noble women in a mandarin gown, their costumes and movements, really display classic beauty (of Chinese culture). In western countries there are high-heeled shoes, while we have our own shoes. Shoes are related to the whole bearing. Yet we are used to see things from Western angles, and rarely do we appreciate the beautiful things we have.”
According to the Shen Yun website, “Classical Chinese dance is a culture left to us by the ancients who came before us, its beauty should be riches shared by all of humanity, its purity should not be contaminated.”
“There’s a feeling of comfort, gentleness, and warmth. For some unknown reason, I feel a sense of serenity and comfort, as if I were purified,” he said.
Mr. Gu was very impressed with the opening program, he said, “From the opening scene, it is very impressive. We descend down through the cosmos; people are very small. I sense vastness of the cosmos. The thinking pattern of many modern people is indeed too simplistic. If we can think outside the box and broaden our horizons, we will find many things, like wars, are unnecessary. In fact we should go back to the state of peacefulness.”
Mr. Gu concluded by describing Shen Yun as “Heaven on Earth.”
Entrepreneur Writes a Poem to Praise Shen Yun
President of Jack Wolfskin Mr. Hsu Tung-Huan watched Shen Yun Performing Arts’ first performance in Taipei. Mr. Hsu adored the performance so much he made a poem to pay tribute to Shen Yun’s excellence.
Mr. Hsu’s was struck by the strength and beauty in Mongolian Chopsticks. “The synchronized movements and balancing colors plus the live orchestra make excellent team work. Together they presented perfect strength and beauty!” Mr. Hsu was also impressed with Ne Zha Churns the Sea.
He believes that Ne Zha was the manifestation of the sense of just. For him, the story wasn’t just inspiring but unique. “(The combination of Chinese classical art and the background projection) brings out the most unbelievable stunning effect!” said Mr. Hsu
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No doubt that this is the most brilliant performance I have seen in all the countries I visited,” said Mr. Hsu, “I am very touched.”
“The female artists’ every move shows not only gracefulness and elegance but a soft kind of strength we see in men. It forms a strong contrast and shows the yin and yang in Chinese culture.”
Reporting by Li Yun and Amy Lien, Tsen-His Wu and Hsin-Yi Lin
Read the Chinese articles: [1] [2]
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.
