Retired Art Dealer Has Tears in his Eyes as ‘Shen Yun brings hope’

“I had tears in my eyes many times and was deeply touched. In our everyday life we should not forget that there is a divine power.”
Retired Art Dealer Has Tears in his Eyes as ‘Shen Yun brings hope’
Mr. Clauspeter Koscielny, editor-in-chief and publisher of the opera magazine Orpheus was delighted to see this "magical show" (The Epoch Times)
3/29/2013
Updated:
10/24/2015
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FRANKFURT—Mr. Knut Guenther, a man of many talents, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle on March 29, a well-known cultural and congress center. Mr. Guenther said that anyone who hasn’t seen Shen Yun is missing a great opportunity to see a true cultural performance.

Mr. Guenther’s credentials include being a friend of the court as legal expert for the Arts, he owns a real estate investment firm, serves as an international consultant for governments and institutions, is a retired art dealer, and has established the famous Museum of the Art of Cooking.

New York-based Shen Yun has a mission to restore and celebrate traditional Chinese culture through its use of classical dance and music, and costumes that represent the different ethnic cultures of the various regions of China.

“I believe that anyone who hasn’t seen Shen Yun is missing a great opportunity to see China’s true culture. One shouldn’t miss even one Shen Yun show. That’s why I will be back next year when Shen Yun performs in Frankfurt again,” he said.

He added, “I’m totally surprised and impressed by what I have seen tonight. We know so little about the diversity of China’s culture,” said Mr. Guenther.

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.

“The diversity of the show is astonishing. It deserves to mention the unique landscapes and the different scenes that were highly impressive,” he said.

“I had tears in my eyes many times and was deeply touched. In our everyday life we should not forget that there is a divine power.”

Shen Yun’s one-of-a-kind orchestra, with its all-original compositions, blends East and West like no other. The distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments like the erhu and the pipa are bathed in a rich sea of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass. The result is two great classical music traditions producing one fresh, unexpected sound, according to the company’s website.

“The tones were beautiful, especially because of those interesting Chinese instruments. I’m not a musical oriented person, but even I could recognize the delightful harmony. I was deeply impressed,” Mr. Guenther said.

One of the features that strikes audience members most is often Shen Yun’s colorful costumes. These hundreds of gorgeous, hand-made garments span China’s dynasties, regions, and ethnic groups.

“The costumes were amazing. And the dancers’ movements brought different kinds of emotions into my heart,” he said.

Expressing his emotions more deeply he said, “I’m not spiritual, but a very practical individual. Then, suddenly one realizes that there is a hint from the divine, like we have experienced in this show. That reminds me of the Chinese proverb, ‘It isn’t important that one falls, but that one rises again.’”

Mr. Guenther concluded by saying: “Shen Yun brings hope and one is inspired positively.”

With reporting Alexander Hamrle

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

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