SALT LAKE CITY—Elizabeth Martinez, a retired ballet dancer, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 18 at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater.
“It’s just such a beautiful experience when you have the live music, and then you also have the dancers,” said Ms. Martinez, who also commented that the dancers had perfect form.
“It was really fun to come here and to see this because I really appreciate the art form and the dancing. It was beautiful.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, is on a mission to present “China before communism,” and revive people’s connection with 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.
“I think it’s incredible because you also educate everybody that comes to watch the performance, and I learned something new, and I think it’s just beautiful how they’re just sharing what they know through dance and the art forms,” Ms. Martinez said.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“I really loved the part where they all danced, and they talked about everybody’s inner beauty and how that comes out in each individual. You could see that on stage as they were dancing, that they were all sharing so much light and beauty,” Ms. Martinez said.
Audience members often comment that Shen Yun’s dancers exhibit great skill in gymnastics or acrobatics, but Shen Yun’s website tells us that the techniques seen in the performance actually originate from classical Chinese dance.
“I thought it was incredible how they were doing all the flips, and I was wondering [whether] they ever get tired because they seem so light on their feet. They go so high in the air, and it’s incredible to watch. The choreography was amazing, the costumes, the sets, everything,” said Ms. Martinez, who has been teaching dance for the last 20 years.
Before atheism became the state ideology under the Chinese Communist Party, China was filled with different spiritual beliefs. And Shen Yun is a reminder of what China was once like.
“I think it’s so important to hold on to our faith and to have that keep us going and moving forward. And I feel like without that, you feel kind of lost. And sometimes we get so busy in life that we forget to appreciate the beauty and also to know that there’s a higher power that’s helping you out throughout your life,” Ms. Martinez said.
