INDIANAPOLIS—Selling out theaters across the globe, Shen Yun Performing Arts returned to a full house at the Clowes Memorial Hall on Feb. 3.
James Cramer, freelance costume designer, had been looking forward to seeing Shen Yun for years. From the moment the curtain rose, he said, “It just continued to get more and more exciting!”
“Between the scenery, the costume, the choreography, and the narration, it all is very cohesive,” he said. “The whole artistic team has been very cooperative and very collective in the thought of how to design and tell the story.”
“The choreography is really telling the story—from the heavens to the earth—and it’s very easy to follow along and consistent throughout the show,” he added.
“They move beautifully … and it’s choreographed so that flow of the fabric is really utilized nicely,” he said.
According to the company’s website, Shen Yun’s costumes and colors are true to traditional aesthetics and styles, painting each dance piece with the splendor of the past.
Aside from the costumes and the dancing, Mr. Cramer appreciated the spiritual aspect of the performance that allowed him to witness the traditions of China before communism.
“We can talk about it, we can see it in the news, but to actually experience it in an artistic way, I think it gets into our soul a little bit deeper,” he said.
‘I appreciated the traditional nature of the costumes’
Nathan Clement, graphic artist, and nurse practitioner Greta Clement also attended the Shen Yun performance at the Clowes Memorial Hall on Feb. 3.
“It was really beautiful,” said Mr. Clement. “It’s great that [they’re] showing what China really looks like ... before communism.”
Mr. Clement also expressed his appreciation for Shen Yun’s exposing the persecution of Falun Dafa in China, stating, “Americans don’t really understand the gravity of communism … I think it’s important for people to see that.”
“I appreciated the traditional nature of the costumes, and they seemed very respectable compared to a lot of the entertainment we have today,” he said.
“I think that beauty is important and morality is important and realizing that there’s something bigger than just the human condition,” he added, giving his impressions after watching the performance.
