SCHENECTADY, New York—In the heart of downtown Schenectady is Proctors Theatre, a 1926 beauty that has been lovingly restored over recent years. Gracing its main stage on Wednesday, Jan. 19 was Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company, now on a global tour, bringing spirit of traditional China to theaters the world over.
Shen Yun is a show “we’re so proud to bring to downtown Schenectady,” said Jim Salengo, executive director of the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation. “Shen Yun is … absolutely phenomenal.”
Mr. Salengo’s company works to improve and revitalize the the city’s downtown, where Proctors Theater is located. “Proctors Theatre is really the emotional heart of downtown Schenectady,” he said.
New York-based Shen Yun is revitalizing the traditional culture of China and its 5,000-year heritage, which has been systematically destroyed in China over decades of communist rule.
“I saw a phenomenal cultural experience that everybody should take the opportunity to see,” Mr. Salengo said. “The beautiful costumes, and the stories, and the music that Shen Yun provides are something really that everyone should see.”
Shen Yun sets authentic renditions of traditional Chinese stories, some from classic books such as “Outlaws of the Marsh” and “Journey to the West,” to dance. Folk dances from some of China’s ethnic groups as well as large ensemble dance pieces portraying different aspects of Chinese history add to the Shen Yun experience. All the dance pieces are accompanied by Shen Yun’s orchestra, which is unique in the world in combining classical Chinese and classical Western instruments.
“I loved the fact that the host explained in advance what we were seeing, so you could enjoy it and understand the significance behind the movements, the music, and the story you were seeing on the stage.”
Shen Yun is a show “we’re so proud to bring to downtown Schenectady,” said Jim Salengo, executive director of the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation. “Shen Yun is … absolutely phenomenal.”
Mr. Salengo’s company works to improve and revitalize the the city’s downtown, where Proctors Theater is located. “Proctors Theatre is really the emotional heart of downtown Schenectady,” he said.
New York-based Shen Yun is revitalizing the traditional culture of China and its 5,000-year heritage, which has been systematically destroyed in China over decades of communist rule.
“I saw a phenomenal cultural experience that everybody should take the opportunity to see,” Mr. Salengo said. “The beautiful costumes, and the stories, and the music that Shen Yun provides are something really that everyone should see.”
Shen Yun sets authentic renditions of traditional Chinese stories, some from classic books such as “Outlaws of the Marsh” and “Journey to the West,” to dance. Folk dances from some of China’s ethnic groups as well as large ensemble dance pieces portraying different aspects of Chinese history add to the Shen Yun experience. All the dance pieces are accompanied by Shen Yun’s orchestra, which is unique in the world in combining classical Chinese and classical Western instruments.
“I loved the fact that the host explained in advance what we were seeing, so you could enjoy it and understand the significance behind the movements, the music, and the story you were seeing on the stage.”
