SAN FRANCISCO—“Spectacular performance,” said Walter Dao after experiencing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the War Memorial Opera House on Jan 6 with his friend, Alexander Williams.
Mr. Dao, a retired security worker, said Shen Yun was more than he expected.
“I enjoyed everything from the beginning to now. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “It’s great! Totally enjoyed it.”
Mr. Williams, also retired, used to work with computers. He agreed with Mr. Dao, saying, “The pageantry of it! The staging! The color! It’s spectacular.”
Shen Yun is based in New York and is the world’s premier classical Chinese music and dance company. Classical Chinese dance is at Shen Yun’s heart, wherein mini-dramas bring glimpse of China’s thousands of years of history and culture to the stage. The company incorporates pieces with folk and ethnic dance as well.
The two friends appreciated the ability of the many dancers on stage, who each danced as individuals but still presented a complete image together.
Magnificent
Kelly Libby, a traveling nurse, and Bruce Dallagher live in a RV and are touring the country. They were very pleased to have seen Shen Yun.
“It was beautiful! Magnificent!” Ms. Libby said. “I was really taken aback by it. It was beautiful.”
Mr. Dallanger also used the adjective magnificent, referring to the colors onstage. “The background was really fantastic,” he said.
The couple appreciated the beauty, the variety, and the mini-dramas. In fact, Shen Yun left them wanting more.
According to the website “Shen Yun dances recount ancient myths, bygone heroes, or celestial paradises. Whether set in the past or in contemporary China, every dance embodies traditional Chinese values. Ideals of loyalty, filial piety, and veneration for the divine are cherished and celebrated. Heroes are extolled for their compassion and tolerance as much as their courage or determination when facing adversity.”
“It was very educational. I can’t wait to go home and read the rest of the program,” said Ms. Libby.
Mr. Dallagher added, “It is wonderful that the Chinese culture is brought here. Just opened my eyes to the differences of all the people and yet we all have the same goal.”
Reporting by Steve Ispas and Leigh Smith
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.
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.
