PORTLAND, Ore.—The splash of spring flowers in bloom set the perfect mood for an evening with Shen Yun Performing Arts in Portland’s Keller Auditorium.
Audiences were stirred by the elegance and expressiveness of classical Chinese dance, the hallmark of Shen Yun Performing Arts. Classical Chinese dance is known to be one of the most rigorous and expressive dance forms in the world. The light and airy grace of the female dancers amazed Michael Schmeer, a lawyer from Portland.
“They were just absolutely smooth when they moved,” he said.
Mr. Schmeer would recommend the performance to anyone. He would tell his friends that “they should see it, and how wonderful it is, and it isn’t just about beautiful dance and beautiful music, it’s also learning about an ancient, treasured culture; it’s very rich.”
Rekindling the flames of a nearly extinguished culture, Shen Yun is bringing back the mystical and profoundly deep heritage of China’s past. Shen Yun’s website states of China’s heritage: “A unique feature of Chinese civilization is that its history has been documented and passed down uninterrupted for 5,000 years, sometimes in vivid detail. This provides Shen Yun with vast source material, making it possible to revive this ancient culture on a present-day stage.”
From the imperial courts to the rural villages, the music and stories portrayed gave the senses a journey through the middle-kingdom, as well as the spirit. According to Shen Yun, ancient Chinese history was divinely inspired. Many great figures including warriors, monks, emperors, to young maidens made up the drama of Chinese legends and folklore.
The underpinnings spoke of morality, justice, and ultimately compassion interwoven into the narrative with dance and music.
Also at the performance on April 12 was Rebecca Prince, whose sister flew in from Massachusetts to surprise her by taking her to see it. She said, “what I feel from this performance is peace, and serenity and grace, and I feel the women are floating across the stage, and the color was magnificent, and it brings me into a whole different world that I wish I had known.”
Reporting by Frank Zhang and Tim Gebhart
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.
