DETROIT—“It unites the mind, body, soul, and spirit in a magnificent performance,” said Ms. Toni Urso Salvador, a former professional dancer deeply impressed by the depth of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s evening performance, Jan 24 at the Detroit Opera House.
Ms. Salvador was a student of the famous German born American choreographer Hanya Holm. Ms. Salvador had a long professional career which included dance, choreography and theater. She danced ballet, jazz, tap, modern dance and others.
“I really enjoyed myself and I’m going to make sure I share this with as many others as I can, because I think we'll be back again,” said Ms. Salvador.
According to Shen Yun’s website, classical Chinese dance is grounded in 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and is an art form built upon a deep foundation of traditional aesthetics.
“They were magnificently uniformed. They were in sync the entire performance. They performed without flaw. I thought they were wonderful performers,” said Ms. Salvador.
The choreography impressed Ms. Salvador, “Oh, I think it was put together very well. I thought it was extremely flowing. It told a beautiful story. It had a lot of depth. Very very wonderful.”
“I think the choreography was done to perfection. I really have nothing but good thing to say about it. Really, I’m impressed,” she added.
Classical Chinese dance also includes training in very difficult tumbling and jumping techniques.
“They make it look very easy, but I’m sure there’s a lot of effort that goes into the performance.”
The distinctive expression of the masculine and feminine principles in the dancers were appreciated by Ms. Salvador.
“The gracefulness of the beautiful women dancers and of course, the rugged, yet strong dance from the men was very exceptional.”
Each performance segment is supported by an animated digital backdrop, which helps transport the audience into mystical realms, different eras and dynasties.
“I enjoyed the synchronization of the videography with the performing dancers. It was very beautiful,” said Ms. Salvador.
Great detail goes into making the costumes for the performances. The company’s website says, “Every detail is given meticulous attention and is a result of artistic inspiration and careful polishing.”
Those costumes were a highlight for Ms. Salvador.
“The costumes, the colors. I love the flowing with the robes within the costumes. The dancers performed it right in sync with each other. Everything was done very beautifully.”
Music from a live orchestra brings a unique blend of harmony and elegance by combining instruments from the East and the West into original scores.
The dancer appreciated that addition to the performance.
“I enjoyed the combination of both Western and Eastern music together. I picked up on that immediately in the beginning. So I did see a lot of uniqueness about this performance. I’m just thrilled to be here,” added Ms. Salvador.
In closing Ms. Salvador said,“ I brought a group of friends with me this evening, we had a group of ten people who came out tonight so we enjoyed the performance and I will be spreading the news to others as well. Can’t miss this one. This is a show to remember and to see again. We'll probably be back too.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Cheryl Casati.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at the Detroit Opera House through to Jan. 27. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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