LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Kevin Gerth, a surgeon, and his wife, Mary Lynn Gerth, came to see Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 29, and were amazed by the Chinese culture presented on stage.
“It was amazing. The talent is just wonderful and the history—I like that they are trying to bring the culture back from China for us to see,” Mrs. Gerth said.
Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.“That came through in today’s show. It really did, so for us who didn’t know much about the Chinese culture, this was an education for us in their history,” Mr. Gerth said.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“I thought the dancers were amazing. Their ability to perform was a combination of fluidity and athleticism. The stories were compelling, easy to follow, and each had a sincere and deep meaning,” Mr. Kerth said.
One of the many things that sets classical Chinese dance apart from ballet is the footwork. While ballerinas dance en pointe, female dancers of classical Chinese dance use small, quick steps called “yuan chang” which give the illusion of the dancer floating across the stage.“Amazing. Beautiful. The choreography was just beautiful. I used to be a gymnast, so I really appreciate the gymnastics, but the fluidity of the females—they looked like they were just walking on air all the time,” Mrs. Gerth praised.
Shen Yun puts on an all-new production every year, and before the start of each season, Shen Yun’s artists train and rehearse tirelessly to ensure perfection from their first city to the last.“They were so together. The choreography is one thing. You can just tell that they put in hours and hours and hours of practice to be so synchronized. I appreciate that,” Mr. Gerth said.
China was once known as the land of the divine, but when the Chinese Communist Party took power in China, that belief in divinity was oppressed.“There was a lot of theology mixed in with the history of China and the emergence of communism, but I really appreciated the basis of theology and the influence it had in this show,” Mr. Gerth said.
Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.“I was reading before the show that that was a patented form of entertainment. The way that they incorporated that three-dimensional backdrop and the performers in and out on stage. That was very interesting, very unique,” Mr. Gerth said.
“I'll be trying to figure that out forever,” Mrs. Gerth joked.
Reporting by Sonia Wu and Maria Han.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
