KAMAKURA, Japan—Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company kicked off the first of its four shows in Kamakura, Japan this season at Kamakura Performing Art Center on Jan. 13. Mr. Kato Atsuo, Japanese first-class architect, repeated “great, really great!” and “everybody must not miss Shen Yun” after attending the show.
“You must sit inside a theater and watch Shen Yun. Immediately, you can feel its values. You will be very touched even if this is your first time attending Shen Yun,” he said.
Ms. Kasiba Sumi Tiyo, a shamisen (a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument) instructor said: “Shen Yun is really really great! It’s really great! … Shen Yun is really amazing!”
Ms. Kasiba said that she was very excited since the curtain first opened.
Shen Yun Leaves Theatergoer With a Memory of a Lifetime
Mr. Maruyama Harufumi, a councilor of Zushi city, expressed his gratitude for Shen Yun’s performance in Kamakura and said the experience will be a lifelong good memory that he will cherish forever.“Shen Yun is majestic. I was moved. It represents the core culture of both the East and West. It focuses on details but is very grand. It is grace mixed with bravery. It’s really fantastic,” he said, “Shen Yun integrates the art of dance, music, and backdrops. It uses the most advanced technologies to present traditional values, which is really an excellent artistic expression.”
“The soloists have extraordinary power. They perfectly revived the bel canto. I definitely will attend Shen Yun next season,” he said.
Mr. Maruyama said the deepest impression he had of Shen Yun is one of harmony. He felt the whole stage and orchestra cooperated seamlessly, and the whole show is in an atmosphere of harmony.
Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, presented through highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.
Mr. Chiba Hirotaka, chairman of the trading company Sutekil, said Shen Yun has a high level of artistry and is very entertaining.
“The music is very beautiful, and the classical Chinese dances are very eye-catching,” he said. He was impressed that each dance represents a different dynasty, and has its own character and storyline, but presents the same theme, which is kindness.
“The female dancers’ dances are graceful and elegant. During the show, I kept on telling myself: ‘how beautiful they are!’” said Mr. Tokuue. “The male dancers are full of force … I enjoyed it a lot.”
