HONOLULU—On the evening of March 31, Ms. Baron, a retired television producer, was among the audience at the Blaisdell Concert Hall to see the final show of New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour.
Ms. Baron commented that as she has been involved with film, she was really impressed with the visuals of the show. “It has been incredible how they have brought the slides into the production and made it all part the show. It is very exciting.”
She was referring to the 3-D digitally animated backdrops, giving each scene an added visual depth and grandeur. Each backdrop is custom-designed to match a given dance’s costumes, story line, lighting, and even choreography.
“Even though I have been involved in film and television, I’m really kind of excited about how they have been able to accomplish this, and I am sure that people ... were blown away by what they have seen here tonight.”
Referring to the dance Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride in which monk Ji Gong, one of the most beloved figures from Chinese history, saves the villagers by his unorthodox, and seemingly-crazy, manner of doing good deeds, Ms. Baron said, “It scared me to death when the mountain came tumbling down. I was wondering how they were going to do that.”
“Yes it has been a delight, a real delight.”
Ms. Baron also commented on the piece Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution. The dance tells the tale of a father who is persecuted for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline banned in China. The scenes that ultimately unfold in this dance present a message of hope and bespeak of a longstanding Chinese belief that good people are ultimately rewarded, even if not in this lifetime.
“That was very frightening, very well executed, the story came across very strong.”
With Ms. Baron was Penny, who also commented on how she liked the show.
“I think it’s terrific, very colorful and exciting. … But I think that the video [the 3-D backdrops], is really terrific and adds to it.”
Penny’s favorite dance was also the one about monk Ji Gong. “I loved the rocks falling, because it was so unexpected. You knew something was going to happen. Didn’t expect that.”
She also liked the drumming pieces, saying, “The last one with the drummers, although there was another drum piece before with the girls drumming. The last one was very strong. It was beautifully choreographed.”
For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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