HOUSTON—Marilyn McKinney, a graphic designer, found Shen Yun Performing Arts to be both surprising and incredibly artistic.
“It’s beautiful. The fabrics are incredible. The scenes were very interesting and intricate,” she said after she saw Shen Yun perform at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston on Dec. 31.
“I was also surprised at the dramas that underline the meaning of the creator and heaven,” she added. “It’s a very spiritual meaning. It’s very interesting. “
Ms. McKinney was accompanied by architect Robert McKinney, who said that he loved the performance, describing it as “spectacular.”
Shen Yun is an internationally renowned performing arts group that presents the 5,000 years of Chinese culture through music and dance, accompanied by colorful, handcrafted costumes and state-of-the-art digital backdrops.
Ms. McKinney said that she found the backdrops to be “a lot of fun,” particularly from an artistic perspective.
The performance includes many depictions of ancient Chinese culture. Part of Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the ancient culture, which was nearly destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party.
“It’s a shame that the Communist [Party] is not doing a good thing by the ancient culture,” said Mr. McKinney, who has been to China more than once. “The current China is about 60 years old. China has a history of … 5,000 years. It’s a shame not to embrace that.”
“Shen Yun’s mini-drama pieces draw upon stories and legends that span China’s history from the Yellow Emperor and through the Tang and Song dynasties and all the way to the modern day,” according to the company’s website.
“A unique feature of Chinese civilization is that its history has been documented and passed down uninterrupted for 5,000 years, sometimes in vivid detail,” reads the website. “This provides Shen Yun with vast source material, making it possible to revive this ancient culture on a present-day stage.”
The performance overall was “very enjoyable and very educational,” said Ms. McKinney.
Mr. McKinney said that he particularly enjoyed several of the dances in the second half of the performance, including one that incorporates a lotus flower.
“The way the dancers performed is very delightful,” he said.
Reporting by Sarah Guo and Zachary Stieber.
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.
