WINNIPEG, Canada—Shen Yun Performing Arts brought the essence of traditional Chinese culture to Centennial Concert Hall Wednesday night, much to the delight of two of Winnipeg’s Japanese community leaders.
Terumi Kuwada, president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, and Lucy Yamashita, president of the Manitoba Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, took in Wednesday’s show and attended a VIP reception afterwards, pausing to share their thoughts with The Epoch Times.
“It is beautiful, artistic, and I think it does give everybody an idea of the culture and the rich heritage, and I think the message was very good as well. A lot of people don’t understand how the culture is so intertwined with the heritage and the nation and spirituality of peoples, and I think that was very clear in the show,” said Ms. Yamashita, who also teaches Japanese dance at the centre.
“I was looking at the dance and the movement and the formations—it was beautiful. And the women were just so graceful. I’m sure they must spend years training, because a lot of the movement is very difficult ... It is performed so flawless and so easy, but the movement is difficult ... It was just beautifully done.”
She said the male dancers do more of the flipping and tumbling moves but the turns and spins of the women are also very difficult.
“I thought it was wonderful. And the costuming was beautiful too, and it gives you an idea of the different types of costumes that were worn in the various eras.”
“Oh, yes,” agreed Ms. Kuwada. “I can’t imagine who has to make them and create them. I mean they must be just the most artistic people around—very lovely.”
“And just the blending of all the media and the backdrop and so on and how it blended into the dancing,” interjected Ms. Yamashita.
“That was so perfect, the backdrops and then the idea that the dancers reflected the backdrop and vice versa and then they melded together when they did that movement into the backdrop. The technology and the effects were just very beautiful,” finished Ms. Kuwada.
“Yes, wonderfully matched. I don’t know who takes care of all the technical parts, but they must have a really good team that works really well with the choreographer and the dancers and so on,” added Ms Yamashita.
Deeply interested with preserving and promoting their own culture, the two women had a unique appreciation also for New York-based Shen Yun’s efforts to revive traditional Chinese culture.
“Sometimes you’re not aware of the extent of culture and history of any country until you either search that information yourself or you come upon it sometimes quite accidentally, and so this is just a glimpse of some of that history and culture which I think is really important for all us to become more aware of,” said Ms. Kuwada.
“Any time that any one of us can learn about each other and become more enlightened and more accepting and understanding of each other is always a good thing.”
“I think it’s really important that as Canadians we learn about the world, and especially here in Winnipeg and in Canada where human rights is such a very powerful part of our lives and something that we embrace just as part of our lives.”
Shen Yun will stage a second and final show in Winnipeg Thursday night.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun. For more information, visit www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org .
Terumi Kuwada, president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians, and Lucy Yamashita, president of the Manitoba Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, took in Wednesday’s show and attended a VIP reception afterwards, pausing to share their thoughts with The Epoch Times.
“It is beautiful, artistic, and I think it does give everybody an idea of the culture and the rich heritage, and I think the message was very good as well. A lot of people don’t understand how the culture is so intertwined with the heritage and the nation and spirituality of peoples, and I think that was very clear in the show,” said Ms. Yamashita, who also teaches Japanese dance at the centre.
“I was looking at the dance and the movement and the formations—it was beautiful. And the women were just so graceful. I’m sure they must spend years training, because a lot of the movement is very difficult ... It is performed so flawless and so easy, but the movement is difficult ... It was just beautifully done.”
She said the male dancers do more of the flipping and tumbling moves but the turns and spins of the women are also very difficult.
“I thought it was wonderful. And the costuming was beautiful too, and it gives you an idea of the different types of costumes that were worn in the various eras.”
“Oh, yes,” agreed Ms. Kuwada. “I can’t imagine who has to make them and create them. I mean they must be just the most artistic people around—very lovely.”
“And just the blending of all the media and the backdrop and so on and how it blended into the dancing,” interjected Ms. Yamashita.
“That was so perfect, the backdrops and then the idea that the dancers reflected the backdrop and vice versa and then they melded together when they did that movement into the backdrop. The technology and the effects were just very beautiful,” finished Ms. Kuwada.
“Yes, wonderfully matched. I don’t know who takes care of all the technical parts, but they must have a really good team that works really well with the choreographer and the dancers and so on,” added Ms Yamashita.
Deeply interested with preserving and promoting their own culture, the two women had a unique appreciation also for New York-based Shen Yun’s efforts to revive traditional Chinese culture.
“Sometimes you’re not aware of the extent of culture and history of any country until you either search that information yourself or you come upon it sometimes quite accidentally, and so this is just a glimpse of some of that history and culture which I think is really important for all us to become more aware of,” said Ms. Kuwada.
“Any time that any one of us can learn about each other and become more enlightened and more accepting and understanding of each other is always a good thing.”
“I think it’s really important that as Canadians we learn about the world, and especially here in Winnipeg and in Canada where human rights is such a very powerful part of our lives and something that we embrace just as part of our lives.”
Shen Yun will stage a second and final show in Winnipeg Thursday night.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun. For more information, visit www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org .
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