BUFFALO, N.Y.—Shen Yun Performing Arts enchanted the audience at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre in Buffalo, New York, on March 24. Ronald Steiman, a former Broadway dancer, enjoyed the show in many ways.
He expressed his love for the theater from a young age.
“When I was a kid, when I was in high school, I used to be an usher for this theater, for shows coming through Buffalo,” he said. “I studied here, then I moved to New York City. I was in a lot of [Broadway] shows.”
For the overall production of the show, Mr. Steiman said, “Beautiful, colorful, energetic.”
“The dancers are very well trained, and the story is conveyed very well. [As for] the music, the orchestra, I didn’t think it was an orchestra. I thought it was traditional Chinese music, beautiful, just beautiful. We love the Chinese culture very much.”
About the spiritual aspect of the show, he said, “It’s very predominant. What they’re trying to convey to you, the dancers, the explanations are beautiful—excellent.”
Dancer Says, ‘The Artistic Expression of the Chinese People Makes Me Emotional’
Retired Police Officer Mike Brown attended Shen Yun with Willa Carpenter, a retired dancer.Ms. Carpenter said, “I love the dancing. I’m a dancer and so I truly appreciate the athleticism and the creative expression.”
With her dancer’s eye for detail, she said, “I thought (Shen Yun) was fantastic. The acrobatics are phenomenal. It’s really just a joy to watch.”
She enjoyed the dancers’ skills. “Phenomenal, phenomenal. And you know, when everyone does everything so perfectly in sync, and the costumes, the flow of it, it’s perfect,” she said.
Ms. Carpenter explained the difficulty of the dancers’ synchronization. “It takes a lot of practice and doing it with each other constantly. I can appreciate this.”
She spoke of the expressiveness of Chinese dance and how it tells stories through movement. “My dance didn’t tell stories, so this is very different. I love how [the emcees] come out and share with us the story of what to expect before it happens. I think it’s lovely.”
Ms. Carpenter said she was very moved by what the show conveyed to her. “The history, the beauty, and the artistic expression of the Chinese people makes me emotional. It’s beautiful. I don’t want to, but I could cry.”
Shen Yun’s performers seem “very expressive and free—that’s what I see.”
Mr. Brown agreed. “It’s sad that it’s repressed like it is. In this country, I don’t know if we appreciate it enough, but we have the freedom to do what we want to do. But I thought it was always a beautiful culture,” he said of China.
Ms. Carpenter said she would encourage people to see Shen Yun. “I’m going to go tell everyone they better come and see it the next time it’s available. It just warmed my heart. I loved it. I don’t know what else to say.”
“I would say how impressed I am and happy for them that they have this opportunity. And I’m thankful they’re here to share it,” she said.
