LAS VEGAS—Jeanne Williams was “pleased to see such beauty” when she saw Shen Yun Performing Arts in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, on Sunday, Feb.23.
She was delighted to share her experience watching the classical Chinese dance and music company.
“Oh, fantastic. Absolutely so beautiful. I just got carried away with it,” Ms. Williams said.
“For 5,000 years divine culture flourished in the land of China. Humanity’s treasure was nearly lost, but through breathtaking music and dance, New York-based Shen Yun is bringing back this glorious culture,” Shen Yun’s website explains.
Ms. Williams, who is a sculptor, visited China years ago, she said, and has even climbed the famous Great Wall. She attended the Shen Yun performance with her daughter, Christine Wilson, who is a stain-glass artist. Both women were seeing Shen Yun for the first time.
Ms. Williams especially enjoyed the dancers and the technicality of classical Chinese dance. “Known for its incredible flips and spins, and its gentle elegance, it is one of the most rigorous and expressive art forms in the world,” says the website.
“Amazing, [I] just had my mouth open,” she said.
Referring to the digital backdrops, Ms. Williams loved the scenery. “Fantastic what they did, making it look like it was projected forward—it’s very effective.”
Shen Yun’s website elaborates on the digital images projected onto the backdrop: “The backdrops are magical windows to completely different realms. From vast open grasslands in one dance to the stately elegance of Tang Dynasty pavilions in another; from dusty yellow battlegrounds to tropical beaches to Himalayan peaks to picturesque scenery of the Yellow River Delta—the digital projection infinitely expands and transforms the stage.”
‘Definitely recommend it’
Also enjoying the performance was Pam Haynes and her husband, Brett Haynes, who works with a subcontractor through the U.S. government’s employee relations, National Security Technologies.
“Loved the show,” said Mr. Haynes, who was visiting The Smith Center for the Performing Arts for the first time. “Great dancing,” he added.
According to the website, “A Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops—together creating one spectacular performance.”
Other features of the performance included vocal soloist who use bel canto technique while maintaining Chinese pronunciation and a stirring erhu solo.
Mr. Haynes enjoyed both.
“Love the singers [and] the soloist; they were great. I am not sure what that little instrument [was] that she was playing—[it] sounded like a violin.”
The erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments, and it has a history of over 4,000 years. With only two strings, a skilled musician is able to express a variety of emotions through it.
After watching the performance, Mrs. Haynes was grateful for what she had learned about China’s ancient culture and history.
“It was wonderful—the dancing and the vibrant colors—[and] learning some of the Chinese folklore. It taught quite a bit as well as entertained. I enjoyed that. I appreciated that,” she said.
In particular, the themes of tolerance and virtue throughout he performance resonated with Mrs Haynes.
“We need to be tolerant in our lives. We need to be able to share,” she said.
The couple wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Shen Yun to others.
“Yes, definitely recommend it,” Pam said.
Reporting by Yaning Liu and Raiatea Tahana-Reese
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.
