TORONTO—Krishna and Nithya Darbha saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto on June 28.
“I loved the show,” Mrs. Darbha, a CPA, dancer, and choreographer, said. “Every item was exquisite: the costumes, the synchronization, the complexity, the technical expertise—everything was just outstanding.
“Overall, it was a breathtaking performance. Every single item was spectacular.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, is on a mission to share the beauty of “China before communism,” and rekindle people’s connection with 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and culture.
“I found all the pieces to be quite good. They thoroughly conveyed the expression they held within them,” Mrs. Darbha said.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“The formations were very nice. Whether it was a few dancers or a large number of dancers, everybody was in position. The placement was just perfect,” she added.
As a dance company founder, Mrs. Darbha is an insider in the performing arts. She was especially impressed with Shen Yun’s synchronicity.
“They danced so well, and everything was so uniform—it was one whole fantastic piece. I think the achievement of the dancers is that you cannot tell one dancer apart from another, and as a dance company, that goes a long way,” she said.
The Chinese and Indian civilizations are both long and broad. Mr. Darbha was able to see the parallels between the two cultures.
“It really held me. The whole suffering and then tenacity or forbearance on the path, and eventually the response from the divine; that aspect is very common to Chinese and Indian cultures, and it really appealed to my emotional side,” Mr. Darbha, electrical engineer and design manager, said.
Shen Yun’s signature innovation, the use of a digital backdrop, is patented technology. The technology’s versatility allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.
“It was mesmerizing. When I first saw the transition from the backdrop to the live performance, it was stunning. You could hardly expect something like that,” Mr. Darbha said.
Shen Yun’s production is a collaboration between its dancers, musicians, designers, and the many support personnel working behind the scenes.
“The costumes were mesmerizing, then you looked at the storyline behind it—the choreography, the patterns around them—the colors held you spellbound,” Mr. Darbha said.
Shen Yun’s last performance of the season was completely sold out. Despite Chinese hoax bomb threats during the season, Shen Yun has proven that these intimidation tactics cannot stop it and its mission.
Reporting by Charlie Lu 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.
