NEW YORK—Adriana Figueiredo, the owner of a film production company, came to see Shen Yun at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Jan. 16.
“I really like the show. Very good dancers, very good choreography, and I love the message, wonderful,” she said.
New York-based Shen Yun revives China’s rich 5,000-year-old culture, displaying ancient legends, ethnic dances, and classical Chinese dance, as well as scenes from contemporary life in China. The performances are accompanied by a traditional Western orchestra including Chinese instruments.
Ms. Figueiredo especially appreciated the spiritual aspects of the show. Spirituality is the most important element of China’s traditional culture. She took away the following message from yesterday’s performance:
“I would say that we have to follow the best of enlightenment, which is love, if we share love, not passion but love, really having good feelings toward other people, we get it back.”
She also liked Shen Yun’s colorful animated backdrop, a technological innovation that interacts with the dancers on stage in sometimes surprising ways.
“The graphic presentations were really wonderful. It has a lot to do with the things I myself have seen. The meditation, the things I connect to,” she said.
Blending projection technology with ancient culture, Shen Yun’s animated backdrop presents scenes from celestial palaces to Tang Dynasty pavilions, giving audiences an insight into China’s long history. The backdrop aids in the storytelling, allowing performers to move from stage to screen.
Ms. Figueiredo could also connect the tales and stories about traditional Chinese culture to her own experience with traditional Chinese medicine.
“I think the traditional knowledge of the Chinese culture is very much accurate for healing … the body is seen as a temple,” she said.
Overall, Ms. Figueiredo was very pleased.
“It’s a universal message that makes people very happy. I’m very happy to have seen the performances here tonight,” she said.
Reporting by Hannah Cai and Valentin Schmid
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
