WASHINGTON—Professional photographer Scott Davis said that he would have to drag his friends to see Shen Yun Performing Arts, telling them they are “not going to believe how good it is.”
Mr. Davis, who specializes in wildlife, travel & lifestyle, and editorial imagery, attended Friday night’s performance with Lynn Burnett at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center Opera House.
Shen Yun, which features classical Chinese dance and soloists, an orchestra and a state-of-the-art animated backdrop, was “absolutely stunning,” said Mr. Davis, who is a National Geographic Society Grant recipient and has co-authored and published several peer reviewed scientific article investigating different aspects of animal behavior.
“It was the precision, the artistry—I never expected something this beautiful,” he said of Shen Yun.
“The combination of the multimedia and the backdrop blended seamlessly with the dancers on stage and was infinitely beautiful,” Mr. Davis said.
According Shen Yun’s website, “Animated backdrops transport the audience to another world. Projected behind the dancers, the hi-tech images lift the stage and set it amidst blossoming landscapes, deep forests, Mongolian prairies, or celestial paradises.”
Ms. Burnett also enjoyed the performance. “I love the costumes and just about everything,” she said. “The dancing was flawless, and the artistry was amazing. The interpretation of history and culture—different cultural aspects—was very entertaining and very beautiful.”
Not only the visual effect, but also the knowledge of Chinese culture that Shen Yun gives its audience was very much appreciated.
Shen Yun is a non profit based in New York with a mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture nearly destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and under 60 years of communist rule.
“It is really just mind bending. So much I didn’t know about the Chinese culture. It was presented from a completely different perspective. It just felt so real, truthful, and honest,” said Mr. Davis.
The music also made a deep impression on Ms. Burnett. “I love the music, especially the traditional instruments, like the erhu. It gets into your soul.”
The erhu is a two-stringed instrument known as the Chinese violin. Shen Yun also has a very unique orchestra, as well as bel canto singers.
According to the company’s website, “Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends East and West like no other … The result—two great classical music traditions producing one fresh, unexpected sound.”
Mr. Davis was amazed by the sopranos: “Gorgeous! We can talk for three hours. Their voices were absolutely world class and beautiful.”
Both agreed, and Ms. Burnett said that the performance “was a beautiful production.”
Ms. Burnett said she would tell their friends they just have to come and see Shen Yun for themselves.
Reporting by NTD Television and Heide B. Malhotra
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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.
