SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Was Just Absolutely Out of This World!’ Says Dance Studio Owner

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Shen Yun ‘Was Just Absolutely Out of This World!’ Says Dance Studio Owner
Sue Dolynski at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at First Ontario Concert Hall on March 22, 2023. Teng Dongyu/The Epoch Times
HAMILTON, Canada—Although classic Chinese dance has thousands of years of history, it is quite novel in the West. Sue Dolynski, the owner of a dance studio, praised Shen Yun Performing Arts and its superb dancers.

“It was beyond my expectations; it was just absolutely out of this world. I cried so many times, too,” Ms. Dolynski said.

As someone with deep knowledge of ballet, Ms. Dolynski was happy to share her praise for classical Chinese dance.

“Ballet itself is expressive, but I’ve never seen actual Chinese dancing like this. It was just wow. Just wow. My eyes are just sore from tearing up,” she said.

Watching New York-based Shen Yun, she was reminded of her late mother, who was also a dancer.

“Actually, it’s extra special for me because I just lost my mother a couple of weeks ago; she passed away. And she was a dancer as well, and we owned a dance studio together. So watching this tonight was like watching us up there dancing together. So it was just absolutely amazing,” Ms. Dolynski said.

Shen Yun is dedicated to sharing traditional Chinese culture and values with audiences around the world. One particular story struck a chord with Ms. Dolynski.

“The one that stands out to me was the one with the baby,” she said.

“Of course, with losing my mother a couple of weeks ago, the whole mother-daughter thing just brought me home.”

Form and Technique

Training in classical Chinese dance requires the dancers to master bearing, form, and technique. Flexibility and strength are a must as well.

“The female dancers were outstanding. Because I know what it’s like to dance, but the problem is that they make it look so easy,” she said.

“And I know myself what’s involved behind the scenes. They’re just flawless, and they’re just absolutely breathtaking, beautiful, absolutely beautiful,” said Ms. Dolynski.

Aside from classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun’s dancers are also well-versed in different ethnic and folk dance styles.

“Being a dancer, I know what it’s like to dance with props and stuff like that, and especially the girls when they had to do the vases on the head and everything. Unbelievable,” she said.

Of the dances tells the story of Falun Dafa practitioners who are being persecuted for their faith. Falun Dafa teaches its followers to abide by Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance in their daily lives. These principles were appreciated deeply by Ms. Dolynski.

“That’s what I felt, I felt it in my heart the whole entire performance. And I could just feel it coming out of them as they were dancing and everything. It was just phenomenal,” she said.

Telling a story without words is difficult, but Shen Yun’s choreographers do a phenomenal job with it. The tales that are presented on stage share values like loyalty, filial piety, and a steadfast respect for the divine.
“You could just feel the story; you could tell the story throughout the whole entire thing from the beginning to the end. It was just amazing. So you knew exactly what was going on and what was happening. You could follow the whole storyline. It was just beyond my wildest dreams. It was absolutely beautiful,” said Ms. Dolynski.
Reporting by Teng Dongyu and Maria Han.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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