DETROIT—Shen Yun Performing Arts’ presentation of classical Chinese dance and music was “exotic and fresh,” according to one audience member at the packed Detroit Opera House on Jan. 28.
Giving her name only as Jennifer, a banker, she expressed her impressions of the internationally-acclaimed New York-based Shen Yun at intermission.
“Oh, very nice, it was very kind of exotic and fresh, and they were very graceful,” Jennifer said.
She was attending the Shen Yun performance for the first time with Dave Richards, a retired attorney, and Janet Richards, a retired secretary.
Mr. Richards said, “I think what I enjoyed the most was the appearance—the colors—and the dancers [synchronized movements] together. It was very cohesive, and very visually stimulating.”
Janet Richards enjoyed the historical themes of the 5,000-year-old divinely-inspired cultural heritage taken from ancient legend, ethnic traditions, folkloric tales, through to modern-day China.
“I just enjoy hearing all the history, the background, in addition to the beauty of it. It’s visually very beautiful,” she said.
Shen Yun’s unique features are supported by a full orchestral ensemble playing Eastern and Western instrumentals, hi-tech digitally-enhanced backdrop scenes, as well as vocalists and soloist musicians.
Mr. Richards had never seen a performance of its kind before, either.
“From my perspective, this is my first time seeing something like this, so it’s interesting to see the different styles of the different vignettes going through,” he said.
“There was one dancer in particular that was most impressive I thought, the individual man, who leaped very high in the air. It seemed he stayed up in the air for about five seconds. And I thought that was most impressive.”
Mr. Richards said the program book’s and the emcees’ introduction of each segment was very helpful.
“The introduction to each segment also gives you some background ... And, for the most part, I was able to follow that,” he said, commenting on one performance which depicted the current oppression of the freedom of belief in China.
“I also was thinking many, many, years ago I did a study in college, a little bit about Chinese history, and it is interesting to try to fit what’s going on here and what I see with what I remember of that.”
Back then, Mr. Richards touched on ancient Chinese teachings, such as Buddhism, Daoism, even Confuciusm, and tried to recollect some things he read some 40-odd years ago.
“It’s been a while, but there are some connections that you could see,” he said.
All in all, Mr. Richards said, Shen Yun was “a very unique and unusual experience, which is what we expected before we came. That’s why we came.”
Reporting by Charlie Lu and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor the Shen Yun Performing Arts.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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