BUSAN, South Korea—A Korean business owner said he forgot all his worries and troubles, and was with happiness after attending Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 4.
“The male dancers are powerful, valiant, but not stiff. They are full of masculinity,” said Mr. Kim Il-gon. “The female dancers seem to be angels flying down from the heavens. They are gentle, elegant, and graceful.”
“The show is magnificent, I love it,” he said. “I’ve always liked Chinese culture and have only gained more interest now, it’s fantastic.”
“The animated 3-D backdrop coordinates with the stage, which is a fantastic design. I have never seen this kind of idea. I was surprised in the beginning. I wondered how the figures in the backdrop could land on stage,” he said.
Mr. Kim laughed happily and said Shen Yun could convey human values using dances.
“The traditional stories that Shen Yun presented delivered a lot of information,” he said. “I like them. I think these are the values we should think about.”
Mr. Kim said Shen Yun was a sort of therapy.
“Anybody who hasn’t watched Shen Yun, attend it as soon as possible. Don’t think too much. We are very busy everyday. Watching Shen Yun can help us forget all our troubles. We can easily enjoy the relaxation and happiness that Shen Yun brings to us,” he said. “Shen Yun can cure our body and soul.”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company. It has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of the 5,000 years of China’s civilization. Chinese culture 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.
‘Shen Yun Is Formidable’
“From the scale of the cast and stage, to the connotation it presents, Shen Yun is formidable,” said Ms. Kwon Young-hee, the chairwoman of the Busanjin Regional Tax Association. “I was in awe.”Ms. Kwon has visited China and Mongolia many times. She felt “Shen Yun is a must-see” because of “the rich history, culture, and values in it,” which she had never seen anywhere else in her life.
“Whether the male dancers or female dancers, their movements are simply gorgeous. It’s majestic!” she said. “The backdrop is very unique. It’s well connected with the dancers on stage.”
“Let’s inherit the traditional cultures without any change,” she said. “I hope Shen Yun can perform more in our country. Then more of our people can attend. I hope more people in the world have the chance to watch Shen Yun. That will be great.”
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 Must-See’
Mr. Kang Jin- hak, the president of the Hanwool Urban Design Group, and his wife Mrs. Lee Seung-hee, an urban design professor at Dong-A University attended Shen Yun on Feb. 3.“I had very high expectations. But the performance is much better than my imagination,” he said. “I was mesmerized by it since the beginning.”
“I always thought dancers are feminine and soft. But all Shen Yun dancers are full of energy,” she said. “I felt refreshed and excited.”
Mrs. Lee enjoyed the stories they told.
“You don’t need to know the dance. The story-based dances are very interesting and captivating. I enjoyed them a lot,” she said.
The couple said they would attend next year as well.
“I will share my experience on social media. I will try to convince whoever hasn’t attended Shen Yun to come. This is a must-see,” said Mr. Kang.
