OTTAWA, Canada—Mr. Robert Okoh, Chief Petty Officer of the Canadian Navy attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ Friday night show at the city’s National Arts Centre.
He had been looking forward to attending and wasn’t disappointed.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. With performances spanning 5,000 years of civilization, the company brings to life historical tales and legends, heavenly realms and contemporary stories of courage.
Mr. Okoh was impressed by the whole performance, noting the colours and particularly the music.
Shen Yun’s orchestra is unique in that it combines Eastern and Western instruments, with Western instruments as the foundation and Chinese instruments leading the melodies. The result is a unique, harmonious sound that brings out the best of both traditions.
The performance also features leading international bel canto vocalists whose songs speak of faith, hope and goodness. Mr. Okoh was pleasantly surprised by their performance.
“You just could feel how powerful it was. It was just really enlightening,” said Mr. Okoh.
Shen Yun’s New York Company, which performed in Ottawa, features Chinese-born award-winning soprano Haolan Geng, award-winning Chinese-born Tibetan tenor Yuan Qu who studied with Pavarotti as well as Taiwanese soprano Pi-ju Huang known for her leading operatic roles.
Mr. Okoh appreciated being able to read the lyrics on the backdrop, and noted the humanity reflected in them.
Reporting by Donna He and Madalina Hubert.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun’s New York Company will be in Ottawa until Dec. 30 before going on to Montreal, Toronto, and other cities in eastern Canada. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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