DALLAS—As a musician, J.J. Mudd understands what it takes to become a masterful artist.
He is an audio-visual technician and plays drums and the guitar.
That’s why he was all the more inspired when he witnessed the artistry of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based company currently performing at The Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas.
“Anytime you see an artist perform their craft at the peak of their ability, it’s inspiring, people doing what they love doing. When people do what they do well, it’s inspiring and it’s uplifting to the human soul,” Mr. Mudd said after viewing the Jan. 6 performance with his mother, Carol Mudd.
Shen Yun Performing Arts seeks to revive ancient Chinese culture through music and dance. The dancers perform classical Chinese dance, an art form passed down from imperial courts and ancient plays. Meanwhile, its orchestra blends musical styles and instruments from the Eastern and Western tradition.
Mrs. Mudd was enthralled by the Shen Yun artists’ passion and dedication, which allowed them to perform perfectly in sync with each other. “You could tell that they were of one mind, one heart, and one purpose,” said Carol, who is a physical therapist.
Her occupation makes her especially attuned to people’s movements, and she could feel the artists’ immense energy and skill through their every step. “The drive and the tenacity when they’re performing, that’s admirable,” she said.
As a fellow musician, Mr. Mudd was particularly impressed by the orchestration. “It was top-notch,” he said. “It’s amazing to see it all come together in one unified performance, with the music and the dancers.”
Shen Yun’s performances capture the close connection between art and spirituality that was at the heart of traditional Chinese culture, something Mr. Mudd found very refreshing.
“I think it [traditional Chinese culture] has a lot of validity. In a world that is generally apathetic and sleepy, I like the idea of hard work and dedication, and virtue, ... it inspires,” he said.
Mr. Mudd is glad he decided to watch the performance as a treat for his upcoming birthday. For one evening, he was transported to another world. “You get to forget about where you are, and enjoy another culture that we don’t get to see every day,” he said.
Reporting by Catherine Yang and Annie Wu
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.
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.
