HOUSTON—“Art, for me, is life,” said artist Ms. Aubra McClendon at the Shen Yun Performing Arts matinee on Dec. 29 in Houston, at the Jones Hall for Performing Arts.
“It was wonderful. Everything was beautiful,” said Ms. McClendon, who paints and has a background in music. “It was a happy performance; I would recommend anyone to come see it.”
“It created a happy mood, especially for the New Year. I think it creates a positive mood for people,” Ms. McClendon said. “The music went well [with everything]; the creativity was great.”
“Music, art, painting, sculpture, is life for me,” Ms. McClendon said of Shen Yun bringing the traditional Chinese art forms to Houston. “I think it’s an inspiration to keep the art going in Houston.”
“As long as they’re bringing it here in Houston and bringing it here and teaching students, I think that’s what it’s all about. Everyone needs a mentor and it [the show] is a great influence.”
Five thousand years of Chinese culture comes alive on stage, as it’s Shen Yun’s mission to revive these traditional arts and values that cannot be found in China today.
Evident in Shen Yun’s unique orchestra, East and West come together in the performance, with a classical Western orchestra foundation and traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu carrying the melody.
“I love the classical, anything that has a background before classical,” Ms. McClendon added. “I loved the performance, the choreography, the music was wonderful.”
“It inspires me,” Ms. McClendon said. “Not just the music, but because of the costume.”
Shen Yun’s brilliant costumes span the different regions of China throughout the dynasties. The culture is known to be “divinely inspired,” and the heavenly robes the dancers don show no difference. Long, fluttering silk sleeves and flowing full skirts emphasize the motion of classical Chinese dance in the performance.
“I’m looking for painting motion, and I love to paint ancient art,” Ms. McClendon said. “So for the costumes, I'd like to have that as a model for future paintings.”
Surpasses All Imagination
Also in the audience was Ms. Beverly England, who studied ballet.
“It just surpassed all of my imagination. It was just wonderful,” Ms. England said. “The skills are amazing and everything blended beautifully.”
“The setting could not have been any nicer,” Ms. England said. “I was so caught up in it.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Catherine Yang.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun’s International Company will be performing in Houston through January 1. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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