TORONTO—Christina Politis came to the Sony Centre on Saturday afternoon to see the world’s premiere classical Chinese dance production, her second time seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts, and she was again thoroughly entertained.
It was “more beautiful” than she remembered it from the first time, she said at intermission.
“I love it,” Ms. Politis said, praising the high calibre and professionalism of the performances.
“This is just so very entertaining, the music, the dance, the stories—wonderful. ... It’s excellent.”
Ms. Politis is the Vice President of Individual Giving for the Canadian Women’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing equality for women and girls in Canada.
New York-based Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by a group of leading classical Chinese artists upon the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.
Shen Yun uses the universal language of music and dance to present the essence of this ancient culture, telling stories that range from captivating myths and legends to modern heroic tales.
“It’s unbelievable, very good quality. The dancers are so talented.”
“Very, very beautiful to watch—loving it, loving it,” Ms. Politis said, noting that her mother and her daughter were with her and they were all looking forward to seeing the second half of the show.
Shen Yun features the world’s foremost dancers trained in the art of classical Chinese dance and a unique orchestra that blends Chinese and Western instruments.
Along with vividly animated backdrop designs produced with state-of-the-art graphics technology, the company creates an impressive new program each year that tours the globe.
“The backdrops are amazing,” Ms. Politis said.
“The effects created with characters coming right out of the screen and back onto the stage—very unique, original, and fun to watch. Makes it more entertaining and goes very quickly. ... It’s very, very well done.”
One of performances that stood out for Ms. Politis was Mongolian Chopsticks, a dance that takes viewers to the northern steppes of Mongolia where the men gather to drink and perform a traditional and highly energized dance using chopsticks to create a crisp, staccato beat.
The other was Tai Chi Flow, a piece based on the principle of balancing opposites.
Tai chi movements temper strength with grace and force with gentleness, as noted in the program book, and the strong male dancers skillfully portrayed these contrasting principles while wielding Chinese fans against a finely woven tapestry.
“All of them [the dancers] are just so talented,” said Ms. Politis.
With reporting by NTD Television and Chrisy Trudeau
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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.
