Shen Yun Relays Inner Meaning of China’s Premodern Culture

The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20.
Shen Yun Relays Inner Meaning of China’s Premodern Culture
The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)
Joshua Philipp
2/20/2010
Updated:
2/21/2010
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/1__BDN2939__Daibing_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/1__BDN2939__Daibing_medium.jpg" alt="The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" title="The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-100360"/></a>
The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—The evening performance of Shen Yun closed to standing ovations at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 20. The show of classical Chinese dance and music is the second-to-last of Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company in New York before the dance company continues its world tour.

China’s 5,000 years of culture is expressed through various dances, stories, and legends in Shen Yun’s performances, relaying the inner meaning of the cultural heritage that guided the country once known as the “Land of the Divine.”

During the show’s intermission, Wall Street trader Edgar Bernstein said he was moved by the principles portrayed in Shen Yun.

“It’s a message of principles, a way to lead one’s life, the challenges that one faces, and how to cope with them,” said Mr. Bernstein. “The message I got about the divine was to, you know, have faith and belief.”

Classical Chinese dance, presented in Shen Yun, includes a broad range of movements from back flips and leaps to subtle hand gestures. The performance also includes dances from China’s diverse ethnic groups including the Miao (Hmong) people, Tibetans, and Mongolians.

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/db-f201_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/db-f201_medium.jpg" alt="The audience at Shen Yun's sixth performance at Radio City in New York. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" title="The audience at Shen Yun's sixth performance at Radio City in New York. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-100361"/></a>
The audience at Shen Yun's sixth performance at Radio City in New York. (Dai Bing/The Epoch Times)
“In presenting an experience that’s altogether pure and beautiful, we aim to capture the substance and spirit of premodern China’s classical culture,” says a statement from Shen Yun Touring Company manager Vina Lee in the program book.

Mr. Bernstein said he saw this element. “I feel the history of the movement of the dance comes through in the presentation. I feel like I’m watching something ancient,” he said.

“It was very colorful, beautiful,” said Mr. Bernstein, adding that he enjoyed the “costumes combined with the acrobatic dancing.”

Shen Yun includes colorful costumes which are original creations which use “historical example and new inspiration,” says their website.

Shen Yun will perform two more shows at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sat., Feb. 20, at 7:00pm and Sun., Feb. 21, at 2:00pm.

  For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV's "Crossroads" program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on today’s issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party, subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape.
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