MINNEAPOLIS—Tom Davidson owner of Xperience Fitness clubs surprised his valentine, Tammy Chambers with tickets to see Shen Yun Performing Arts, on Feb. 15, at the Orpheum Theatre.
Having spent three summers in China studying Chinese at the Universities of Beijing and Kunming, Mr. Davidson brought a unique perspective with him.
“I love Chinese dance and art, it’s fabulous,” he said.
After seeing the performance, Mr. Davidson commented on the dancers. “I can see that [it’s] very symmetrical where there are 20 people there moving perfectly. They’re really disciplined and very flexible,” he said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts features classical Chinese dance, a unique orchestra blending East and West, interactive backdrops, and vibrant handmade costumes.
Its mission is to bring back the traditional culture China once had. Since the communist regime came to power some 60 years ago, China’s traditional ways and customs have been lost or destroyed.
“It’s like Tai-chi and Kung-fu. It’s sort of feels like they’re doing a lot of Kung-fu and Tai-chi,” related Mr. Davidson.
The Chinese word for martial arts and dance come from the same root, as the too are connected historically.
“I could tell it brings back the historical” he said about the cultural aspect of the show. “I can tell what they’re doing now they did 1,000 years ago, I think the dances and the songs and the discipline was 500 years ago at least.”
Tammy Chambers is a nurse as well as a health insurance professional. She said, “What I find interesting is how ... intricate the Chinese dance was.”
“When you start watching one person’s movements and I mean that they’re very athletic, but they’re all similarly built, but the influence, like the Chinese dance had on other dances—you can see it. It comes out,” she commented.
Ms. Chambers further stated, “And they’re all about the same size. ... The movement is so fluid because of the whole thing, the way it flows.”
Shen Yun features several solo vocalists and a full-orchestra showcasing both Eastern and Western instruments.
Ms. Chambers said, “It’s kind of like the lost beauty in the music, and how you can move to that music because I’m sure music is very different in China now.”
“The last singer, the soprano she was very good. She was singing from the heart. It was just beautiful, very beautiful,” Mr. Davidson added.
Ms. Chambers mentioned that the part of the program that stood out to her was “the last one, the Mongolian chopsticks, I love, when they just start and how it builds up.” The momentum increased as the dancers moved in unison.
“And the drums—amazing,” Mr. Davidson said about the part that impressed him the most. “The opening, the drums, that was really cool.”
Reporting by Sherry Dong and Andrew Darin
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.
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.
