SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Professional Ballroom Dancer ‘Mesmerized’ by Shen Yun

Feb 27, 2014
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Professional Ballroom Dancer ‘Mesmerized’ by Shen Yun
California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (Epoch Times)

ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Hadas Fisher and her companion attended Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s opening night at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido on Feb. 26.

Ms. Fisher is a professional ballroom dancer and a former ballet dancer. In 2011, she and Shlomi Koriat, an Israeli actor, won a competition on Rokdim Im Kokhavim, which is the Israeli version of the popular British TV show Strictly Come Dancing, and the USA equivalent of Dancing with the Stars.

“I’m mesmerized from the show,” Ms. Fisher said.

Shen Yun, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, is an independent, non-profit, New York-based organization formed in 2006 by a group of artists with a mission to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture, believed to be divinely inspired, through music and dance.

“From the technique, and the dancers, and the outfits — [It’s] amazing! I loved every moment,” Ms. Fisher said.

The technique used by Shen Yun dancers is different from what Ms. Fisher learned.

“I used to be a ballet dancer, and the fluidity of the movements, and the different jumping and turning [is] something I never saw before, so I love it,” she said.

According to Shen Yun’s website, “Chinese dance is at the heart of what Shen Yun does. Known for its incredible flips and spins, and its gentle elegance, it is one of the most rigorous and expressive art forms in the world.”

In many pieces throughout the entire performance, dozens of male and female dancers are on stage dancing in unison.

Ms. Fisher’s companion enjoyed the dancers’ synchronicity.

“I like it,” he said. “And the timing—they’re doing everything at the same time.”

Shen Yun’s costume artists tailor hundreds of new pieces each season. The costumes are presented in brilliant colors. The website explains: “Every detail is given meticulous attention and is a result of artistic inspiration and careful polishing.”

Another major feature of the performance is the Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra, which enchanted Ms. Fisher.

“The music is wonderful!” she said. Ms. Fisher enjoyed the combination of the orchestra’s rhythmic sounds, the dancing, and even the props the dancers used such as, for example, chopsticks in the piece Mongolian Chopsticks.

“It’s very unique,” she said.

Reporting by Sophia Feng and Thanh Le

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.