SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Brave’ and ‘Has a Far-Reaching Significance,’ Says Korean Literary Master

Feb 06, 2023
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Shen Yun ‘Brave’ and ‘Has a Far-Reaching Significance,’ Says Korean Literary Master
Korean Literary Master Mr. Choi Sang-yoon attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 5, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)
BUSAN, South Korea—A Korean literary master was amazed by the artistic and cultural values he saw in Shen Yun Performing Arts after attending a performance at Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 5.

“Shen Yun is reviving traditional values in the big dye vat of modern ideologies. This brave work has a far-reaching significance which is beyond any ideology or -ism,” said Mr. Choi Sang-yoon. “I was deeply moved by Shen Yun. This performance is a collection of all the great achievements in China’s civilization.”

Mr. Choi is a literary master in South Korea. He is an honorary professor at Dong-A University, the chairman of the Korean Art and Culture Critics Association, the chairman of the Art City Busan forum, and a consultant of the Busan Federation of Art Organizations.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of “China before communism.” Mr. Choi said Shen Yun presented classical Chinese dance and used very advanced technology in artistic forms.
“Everybody knows this is a traditional art or old thing. But Shen Yun uses the animated backdrop which is the most advanced technology. No matter what background an audience is, he or she will say wow when they see Shen Yun,” he said.
Mr. Choi explained the 3-D backdrop used by Shen Yun created the circumstances of the stories.

“This is an awesome technology. It’s full of vividness and realism. It’s very valuable,” he said. “You can’t find any creative design that is comparable to Shen Yun’s backdrop. This performance deserves the highest praise.”

“Shen Yun frequently has over a dozen of dancers dancing together. I thought one or two dancers may make a fault. Surprisingly, all the dancers danced so synchronously. Their movements are very difficult to do and require high technical skills. But they didn’t make any faults,” he said.

“They danced like one body. I suggest our Korean artists learn from Shen Yun.”

For 5,000 years, China’s civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, virtues like loyalty, propriety, wisdom, justice, and benevolence—values that are universal and shared the world over.

Mr. Choi said he received these messages from Shen Yun, by which he was “very touched.”

“Korean history is that of the nobility,” he said. “What Shen Yun presents includes nobility, such as emperors, generals, etc., and the ordinary people as well. This is a brand-new experience for me.”

Mr. Choi expressed his respect to Shen Yun’s artistic director.

“I fully respect the artistic director. He organized so many different art forms together that includes the live orchestra under the stage,” he said. “He isn’t an ordinary person. He has extraordinary knowledge and wisdom. I admire him. He is really amazing!”

Mr. Choi has attended Shen Yun three times. He said he won’t feel tired of it no matter how many times he watches Shen Yun.

Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, presented through highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.

‘A Majestic Show’

Ms. Jung Soon-ok is the chairwoman of the Volunteer Association of the Jinju National Museum. She attended Shen Yun for the first time on Feb. 5, and said she couldn’t wait to see it again right after the show.

“Shen Yun is amazing,” she said. “The performance interpreted the Chinese culture as a very grand and powerful one.  The show is majestic, and I was left with a great feeling overall.”

Ms. Jung was surprised that the tradition Shen Yun presented is harmonious with current society, and she felt Shen Yun dancers are very pure.

She said she would introduce Shen Yun to all her friends by telling them: “If you want to know the real China, you have to learn it from Chinese traditional culture. The best way is attending Shen Yun.”

Ms. Jung Soon-ok, the chairwoman of the Volunteer Association of the Jinju National Museum, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 5, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)
Ms. Jung Soon-ok, the chairwoman of the Volunteer Association of the Jinju National Museum, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 5, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)
Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Busan, South Korea.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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