“It’s a very interesting display of the Chinese classical traditions that I’ve never seen before. Beautifully done, very, very well executed.”
“It’s clear that the artists are extremely polished and hardworking people,” she remarked. “They’re amazing athletes. They don’t look like they get out of breath.”
“I really like the melodious nature of it,” Ms. Farrugia said. “The musicians are obviously very gifted.
“It has a good synergy,” she remarked of Shen Yun’s East meets West orchestra. “They’re playing very well together. And I noticed that sometimes the patterns were so fast I was really amazed that their fingers could keep up,” referring to the string players.
“It just made me think about the traditions of China,” she said. “It’s like a historical document; it’s like going to an opera and hearing something that was written in the 18th-century Italian art form. It’s a particular style that is a traditional viewpoint, which is interesting to someone who hasn’t seen that or heard that before.”
‘I Love Gutsy People’
Dani Swan, a dancer and Hollywood actress who played the ‘Woman In Red’ alongside Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Resurrections, said she felt very inspired by Shen Yun and even a bit teary.
“It really sticks to the tradition, and that’s something that I really love about it. It has a story to it and I think that’s really important, you know, especially in dance.”
She also recognised the extreme professionalism of the performers.
“I wish people knew what they’re doing is so hard, but they make it look effortless. And I think that’s something that’s pretty incredible, you know,” she said. “People don’t realize how much we’re athletes: dancers. We’re real athletes, you know.”
Ms. Swan also praised Shen Yun’s forthright storytelling about the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of people of faith in China.
“I mean, I love gutsy people, and I’m really impressed by this show and the artistic director. I hope I get to meet him. I'd love to work with someone like that one day because I think we need to have more shows that break the boundaries, especially for women.”
‘Once in a Lifetime’
Sarkis Yedelian (OAM), the mayor of the City of Ryde, said Shen Yun was beautiful and that he was leaving with no regrets after having finally been able to attend after many years of friends’ recommendations.
He said everyone “should at least see it once in their lifetime.”
What a Privilege
Karina Lawrence, TV presenter, host, and businesswoman, “absolutely loved” Shen Yun.“It’s really left me with that beautiful sense of tradition as well,” she added, which brings an understanding of culture and lineage of where it all comes from, which for China is a very powerful yet beautiful and elegant history.
The traditions also encourage respect, Ms. Lawrence said. “It was very effective, beautiful.”
As a choreographer herself, she expressed appreciation for Shen Yun’s precision, timing, and elegance.
“The lines … everything was just on point.”
For Ms. Lawrence, she really enjoyed Shen Yun’s “Yellow Blossoms” female folk dance.
“I think it was just beautiful … the angles, just stunning and very inspiring.”
“I feel very inspired and I just feel like I have this inner grin that’s coming out. I feel very privileged to come.”
