AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Michael Becker, a company director in tourism, was so glad Barbara Hampe found out about Shen Yun Performing Arts coming to Auckland and said, “We need to go.”
They had wanted to see Shen Yun for some time so when Ms. Hampe saw it advertised this year, she bought the tickets right away. She is a great fan of dance but they both found Shen Yun was so much more than just dance.
“The artistry, artistic movements and the combination is mind boggling,” Mr. Becker said at the Feb. 12 performance.
Shen Yun’s first stop in the New Zealand leg of their world tour is at Auckland’s Aotea Centre’s ASB Theatre.
According to the program book, Shen Yun draws inspiration from China’s 5000 year civilisation and the virtues it has long embraced believing the rich heritage is a precious gift worth keeping and worth sharing with their audiences.
Shen Yun’s mission to restore the authentic, traditional culture of China through the arts was very much appreciated by Mr. Becker, “I think it’s an amazing show and the variety, the culture, the stories, everything is colourful—so in-depth, it’s wonderful,” he said.
Classical Chinese dance is at the heart of what Shen Yun does but it also incorporates folk and ethnic dance as well as story dances and solo performances. The movements of classical Chinese dance are deeply expressive, and convey the essence of various legends, beliefs and values inherent in traditional Chinese culture.
Ms. Hampe was also impressed by the story dances which gave the audience a glimpse into the five millennia of cultural history. China is home to over 50 ethnic and folk minority groups.
She said, “[Shen Yun] gives you a great overview about the different regions and traditions.”
As a company director in tourism Mr. Becker said he was interested in different areas, cultures and history and he had recently done some research into Chinese culture. He said Shen Yun added to his understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and history. It encompassed all aspects of ancient Chinese culture.
“It [Shen Yun] gave me a great insight into Chinese culture. It’s amazing! It’s a long, long history. It’s so fascinating,” he said.
“It’s a complete roundup going back in history.”
Reporting by Shelley Shao and Judy Shakespear
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.
