GLASGOW, U.K.—Mark Irvine, BBC presenter, antique dealer, and entrepreneur, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time at the SEC Armadillo on Feb. 14.
“It’s heavenly, it’s culturally stimulating,” he said. “You can feel the beauty, the emotion, the passion—the passion for what is going on onstage—and the cultural pride,” he added.
Mr. Irvine attended the performance with his wife, Roo Irvine, a BBC TV antique expert, for a romantic Valentine’s evening.
“I’m totally in love with the movement, with the color, the flair, it’s just it’s exquisite … elegance personified,” he said. “And on this Valentine’s night, it is such a beautiful occasion.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to travel to China on several occasions on business, so I’ve seen the modern China,” said Mr. Irvine. “But to see historical China, to see the stories, the history, and the beauty, is just wonderful.”
“It’s a part of China that in the West we don’t see,” he added. “And pre-communism … you don’t get to see where China’s culture has come from, so for me, it’s a revelation; it’s beautiful!”
“There’s loyalty, there’s faith, there’s passion, there’s love, and there’s a stoicism,” he said. “It’s rooted in their culture, so you can feel the passion for their country … it’s beautiful.”
According to the company’s website, the presented heroes embody the most exalted virtues of Chinese civilization and convey morals still relevant to the modern day.
“For me, [Shen Yun’s] a chance to experience something which you would never get to see anywhere in the world,” he said.
One of Shen Yun’s unique features is its orchestra. It’s the first in the world to combine traditional Chinese instruments into a classical Western orchestra permanently. Ancient Chinese instruments such as the two-string erhu and the pipa lead the melody amidst the traditional instruments found in a Western orchestra.
Mr. Irvine said the music was so “absorbing and so beautiful” that he would have forgotten there was a live orchestra if he hadn’t been seated in the front row. “You drift away in the vision and the imagery,” he said.
Thanking Shen Yun’s artistic director, Mr. Irvine said: “It’s just such a heavenly, passionate, beautiful experience, so thank you for bringing it to us here in Glasgow.”
Rediscovering Ancient Roots
Bethany Guangya Ferris, a support worker and physiotherapist, also saw Shen Yun for the first time with Scott Lewis Moosher, technical manager for a medical training facility, at the SEC Armadillo on the evening of Valentine’s Day.
“It was amazing … really touching [and] quite emotional in some parts,” said Ms. Ferris.
She enjoyed how the performance journeyed “back to the very beginning—how and why humans came here—and how it developed into modern day.”
Born in China but adopted when she was one year old, Ms. Ferris said, “getting back into the traditional culture of China was really interesting, it’s really inspired me to look further into my past.”
Mr. Moosher was blown away by the performance, saying: “The whole idea, the way it built, the drama, … the different types of scenes, and the performance … was just fantastic!”
Empowered by the underlying spirituality of ancient Chinese culture, Mr. Moosher said: “What’s really interesting about Chinese culture is the deep developments and the spirituality behind it … always emphasizing the connection with the divine.
“I like the kindness of the messages,” he added. “How kindness develops across humanity and also how it’s rewarded—how goodness and kindness [are] rewarded throughout.”
