NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Gustavo Gilaibar found Shen Yun Performing Arts an amazing experience, especially with the live orchestra performing original works in tandem with the artists on stage.
“The colors, the music, like the live orchestra music, it was amazing,” said Mr. Gilaibar, an engineer, after seeing Shen Yun at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on May 10.
It was more than a beautiful performance, he added, but also a learning one. “It’s not just music playing, but I think it’s more like a history. And there is some learning on it, like, how can you deal with problems? And how do you learn how to treat different people as well?”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. The ancient culture was said to be a gift from the divine, and for millennia the Chinese placed harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind at the center of civilization.
“To learn a little bit about the progression on some of the traditions that they were told, they were told like they’re coming from thousands of years ago, and see how they evolved with time and like get to come to see from the basis and the principles to the modern China, so I think it was really good to learn a little bit about that,” he said.
Restaurateur Cees Brinkman was also learning a lot that evening. Mr. Brinkman, who attended the performance with his wife, Jenna, said that his Chinese friends had recommended the performance to him, saying it would be a look into the authentic history of what China was before communism.
“This can’t be performed in China. So those things are kind of eye-opening,” Mr. Brinkman said.
Mrs. Brinkman said she was happy the performance had come to the Fisher Center.
“I like the spiritual aspect of it,” she said. “It makes you think about things that are happening around the world. So the things that they’re showing in this performance really make you think about what goes on in our world.”
“It’s beautiful. Spectacular,” she said.
Mr. Brinkman added that they were lucky to get seats that were right up front, affording them a great view of not just the stage, but the orchestra as well.
“The music’s very moving. And, you know, you can pick up some of the different instruments that you’re not typically going to hear. So that’s been really nice to look, kind of glance over and see what is that that’s playing right now,” Mrs. Brinkman said.
Mrs. Brinkman said the digital backdrop was another “absolutely stunning” element that added much to the production.
