HACHIOJI, Japan—Political commentator and President of the Japan Okinawa Policy Research Forum, Satoru Nakamura, saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 15 at the J:COM Hall Hachioji.
The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, with a mission to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely inspired heritage and share with audiences the beauty of China before communism.
Mr. Nakamura thought that, other than showing the beauty of China’s traditions, there is deeper significance to the show. “I think there may actually be a deeper, underlying significance to staging this performance. In China, traditional culture has been completely destroyed, so although we don’t know how many years it will take, when it is eventually rebuilt, there is a need to preserve that culture. I think that’s part of the significance.”
“That’s why they perform every year—to pass it on through these performances. If this kind of authentic traditional Chinese dance isn’t preserved, traditional culture could disappear from the Earth. I feel this is a crucial, final effort to prevent that,” he added.
‘Feels Like Heaven’
“My first impression was that it feels like heaven,” Mr. Nakamura said. Commenting specifically about the female dancers, he added, “They really give the image of heavenly maidens. Their costumes also evoke the image from old tales of celestial beings descending from the sky wearing feathered robes. As explained during the performance, they say ‘humans were originally divine beings,’ so I felt they were trying to depict an image of heaven in its entirety.”“They really felt like ‘celestial maidens.’ From their fingertips to their gaze, you can tell they pay attention to every detail. Because their hearts are in it; the aura they project is truly different.”
Determination and Spirituality
Mr. Nakamura said he felt the artists’ strong conviction to revive tradition and resonated with it. “Yes, I definitely feel their strong determination to preserve [the traditional culture of China]. The current system of the People’s Republic of China probably won’t last for many more decades, and the world is now in a period of major upheaval. The cultures of evolutionism, materialism, and atheism that have continued until now seem to have reached their limits. Japan as well—we are at a time when we should reclaim spirituality once again.”Mr. Nakamura then reflected on spirituality, culture, and the future of human civilization. “Until now, national prosperity has been driven by competition in economic and military power, but going forward, the world needs to shift toward a competition in spirituality. The core values when China is revived will also be spirituality. Unless we move toward the idea that ‘a country with higher spirituality is a better country,’ humanity will reach a dead end. Competition in economic and military strength stems, in a sense, from materialistic thinking, so perhaps it’s time to bring that to an end.”
‘Perfectly Synchronized’
As he sat towards the front of the theater, Mr. Nakamura was delighted to see the live orchestral accompaniment. “I was surprised because I could actually see the live musicians. It’s incredible that everything is performed live and perfectly synchronized with the dance. From the timing to everything else, I was amazed at how they sustain such concentration.”He was equally impressed by Shen Yun’s patented digital backdrop. “Also, the visuals have really evolved. The effect where performers seem to leap out of the background screen was perfectly timed as they entered and exited—it was astonishing. I thought it was amazing.”
Reporting by Niu Bin and Sophia Fang
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
