STAMFORD, Conn.—On May 8, retired dance studio owner and journalist Rockley Miller attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show at the Palace Theatre. He was blown away by the beauty and depth of traditional Chinese culture.
“It’s magical,” he said. “The integration of the background—it’s absolutely brilliant. The dancing is marvelous.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. The performance incorporates a 3D backdrop that seamlessly collaborates with performers on stage to create a magical illusion for the audience and enhance storytelling.
The production comprises a series of short pieces that takes its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, the artists tell tales from ancient times to the modern day.
“The music—[it’s] purely dynamic,” he shared. “The choreography, the music—fits together beautifully.”
The 3D integration was “brilliant, absolutely. It’s very well done,” he said. How the old man suddenly became young again “was amazing. I couldn’t figure out how they did it.”
Summing up his first experience of Shen Yun, Mr. Miller said he would describe the dancers’ talent and skill level as “top level.”
“Top level. The height, the technique, and the turning all the way on the stage, and all of their [flips and tumbling,] absolutely beautiful,” he added. “Wonderful.”
