LAS VEGAS—Shen Yun Performing Arts continued to impress audiences at Reynolds Hall in the Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Feb. 22.
David Mousseff, a senior manager at Boeing, said he was “enjoying the performance very much.”
Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance and music music to bring to life stories and aspects of China’s 5,000-year-old culture. As its website describes, “A Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance.”
“There’s a calming feeling; even during the scenes with a lot of action, I felt relaxed,” said Mr. Mousseff.
Chinese dance is a highly refined art form: “China’s deep cultural traditions are contained in classical Chinese dance, allowing its movements to be richly expressive, such that the personalities and feelings of characters can be portrayed with unparalleled clarity,” explains the Shen Yun website.
“The dancing is inspirational, both the male and female dancers,” said Mr. Mousseff. “I know my body couldn’t do what they are doing.”
Mr. Mousseff said he also appreciated the music, “I love the music. I’m not very musical, but I really enjoy it. The sound is not intrusive.”
According to the Shen Yun website, “The Shen Yun Orchestra combines the spirit, beauty, and distinctiveness of Chinese music with the precision, power, and grandeur of the Western symphony orchestra. The result—two great traditions producing one refreshing sound.”
Listening to the music live was all the more enjoyable for Mr. Mousseff.
“I love how we are watching this in the Reynolds Hall, it’s really quite sophisticated, and the sound is incredible,” he said.
Another notable feature of Shen Yun is its use of rich, animated digital backdrops to add context and immerse the viewers for each dance. The scenes might feature Mongolian plateaus or heavenly kingdoms.
But Mr. Mousseff also saw some deeper meanings in the performance, through the display of China’s ancient culture.
Part of Shen Yun’s mission is to bring China’s traditional culture to the entire world, and reveal its beauty. “I like how we think we are different [as people of different national and ethnic origins], but we’re really the same in so many ways,” he said. “We all have the same fears, ideals, and desires.”
Reporting by Albert Roman and Ben Bendig
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.
The 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.
