NEW YORK—Shennoa McDay, a federal attorney, was fascinated by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ portrayal of stories and legends inherent throughout Chinese culture, as it performed at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Saturday.
“[Shen Yun] told a story, a great story. I loved it very much. It gave us a chance to learn something about Chinese culture,” she said.
The New York-based dance company aims to revive traditional Chinese culture that was nearly lost under communist rule, according to its website. However, it notes that the Chinese culture and spirituality could never be fully destroyed.
“The whole good and evil fight” depicted in Shen Yun “was great,” Ms. McDay said. “It was a constant battle; the choices that people have to decide what to make,” she said.
The struggle between good and evil in the performance relates to “what we all go through in daily life,” she said.
“We all have choices that we have to make. There’s always a fight between good and evil ... We are faced with that everyday. We have to make a choice as to whether or not we are going to the right thing or the wrong thing. Stand up for our beliefs,” Ms. McDay said.
The performance prominently features classical Chinese dance, which, according the company, “is grounded in 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture, and is a dance art form built upon a deep foundation of traditional aesthetics.”
The dance and the performance’s use of colors, Ms. McDay said, “told a story we can all comprehend.”
Photographer: ‘It’s all very good’
Shen Yun’s digital backdrop, which depicts scenery from ancient China to modern times, impressed Richard Nieves, a photographer.
“I wish I could take them with me,” he said, referring to the company’s backdrop.
The scenery that goes along with each dance piece includes mountaintops, forests, pastoral landscapes, and others.
“It’s all very good. It’s very colorful. Beautiful actually,” Mr. Nieves said.
With reporting Alec Wang and Jack Phillips.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world, with a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center through April 22.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
