LOS ANGELES—Oscar Award winner Burt Dalton was among the audience who enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Music Center Sunday evening, Feb. 7.
Mr. Dalton was co-winner last year of an Oscar in the category of Best Achievement in Visual Effects for the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He was recently nominated for an Oscar in the same category for his work on Star Trek (2009). His career in special and visual effects in television and film has been highly distinguished.
After watching Shen Yun, Mr. Dalton said he enjoyed it: “I liked all the tradition, and I liked the culture. It was a lot different than American dance or modern dance-a lot more synchronized, [and] traditional. It was different. I like seeing something different and seeing other things.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, is billed as the world’s premier Chinese music and dance company. Its mission, according to its website, is to revive traditional Chinese culture by offering its audiences with an experience of sublime beauty.
While providing entertainment, Shen Yun also serves to educate its audiences about China’s rich history, it’s mythical stories, and its diverse ethnic groups such as the Tibetans, Miao, Dai and Mongolians.
Mr. Dalton liked the educational value of Shen Yun; he now knows much more about China. “Anything that I see like this definitely builds my opinion [about China], especially the history of China and all the various cultures within China,” he said.
Shen Yun also features solo vocalists and a solo erhu player whose talent appears to stun entire audiences. Mr. Dalton said he enjoyed all the music, but he was especially enthused with the erhu solo. “I liked that two-stringed instrument; all that music coming out of the two strings,” he commented.
He added that the costumes and colors were great. “I love [the] color...It’s very colorful, very bright,” he said.
Shen Yun has three dance companies and three orchestras. During its 10 shows in Los Angeles, Shen Yun companies will also be performing in Springfield, St. Louis, and New York.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
About Burt Dalton
Co-winner of the 2009 award for Best Ensemble Cast by the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC).
Nominated for four 2009 Academy Awards including Best Makeup, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Winner of the 2009 Artios Award for Studio Feature-Drama by the Casting Society of America (CSA).
