SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘One of the Most Beautiful Dance Events I’ve Seen’ Says Former Ballerina About Shen Yun

Apr 21, 2023
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‘One of the Most Beautiful Dance Events I’ve Seen’ Says Former Ballerina About Shen Yun
Former ballet dancers Joss and Kimberly Urch at Shen Yun at the Eventim Apollo venue, in London, on April 20, 2023. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)

LONDON—Former professional ballet dancers Kimberley Urch and her husband Joss Urch were amazed at the artistry of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Eventim Apollo venue on April 20.

“It was one of the most beautiful dance events I’ve seen,” said Mrs. Urch, “it was really uplifting.”

“I like the idea of showing the political message and the spiritual message through dance, it’s really powerful.”

“The unity of humanity and earth,” the “spirit and the afterlife,” and the “choice to make between light and dark,” she said was expressed so beautifully through the live orchestra and choreography.

Established in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Performing classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, as well as story-based dance with orchestral accompaniment, Shen Yun aims to revive China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture.

As company ballet dancers, both Mr. and Mrs. Urch understood the amount of training and dedication that goes along with the artistry and were impressed by the dancer’s synchronization and precision of timing.

Recognizing some of the similarities and differences between ballet and  classical Chinese dance, Mrs. Urch said “Chinese classical dance is more lyrical, more flowing, more expressive.”
According to the company’s website, classical Chinese dance involves a dance-acting element where coordinating facial expressions with physical movements results in an amplified form of expression. With its flips and gentle elegance, Chinese Classical dance is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms.

‘Passion and Calm’

Karen Medin, jewelry designer, also attended the Shen Yun performance at the Eventim Apollo venue on April 20.
Karen Medin at Shen Yun at the Eventim Apollo venue, in London, on April 20.,2023. (Chloe Hsiao/The Epoch Times)
Karen Medin at Shen Yun at the Eventim Apollo venue, in London, on April 20.,2023. (Chloe Hsiao/The Epoch Times)

“I love the colors, the shape, how they use the costumes to be part of the performance … it’s so inspiring,” said Mrs. Medin.

Commenting on Shen Yun’s mission to revive traditional culture, Mrs. Medin said, “you should be aware of your history, your principles, [and] values … and how to keep those values nowadays.”
Having immigrated from Colombia, Mrs. Medin said she could relate to the current dance stories depicting the persecution of Falun Dafa by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

She said she loved how they depicted the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance as a “way to face the situation” rather than “by violence” in the dance stories.

“I love that spiritual awakeness that I’ve been seeing in the show,” she added.

“I feel passion and calm at the same time,” she said, “it’s definitely something that you need to see live.”

Reporting by Mary Zhang, Chloe Hsiao, and Jennifer Schneider.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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