WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Filmmaker Tony Dody, his wife Cristina Candullo, who also works in the film industry, and art broker Marianne Galasso attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening performance together at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 3.
She was especially impressed by the story-dance “The Legend of Master Zhang Guolao,” a comedic piece recounting the adventures of one of the Eight Immortals from ancient Chinese lore.
The performance “is beautiful. Every time we see it, we notice something different,” Ms. Candullo said.
“The screen is just really cool, the way that they transition. There was one moment where the old man changes to the young man, and that was just so precisely done. It was like you blink, and you'll miss it. It was amazing.”
The music and choreography are “incredible, absolutely incredible,” he said. “Coming from the movie world, [Shen Yun] is second to none.
“I love the fact [the performances] have a magical feel, how [the dancers] jump from the stage to the screen,” he said. “When the gentleman turns from older to younger—absolutely incredible.”
Founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who fled persecution, New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving the beauty and virtues of “China before communism.”
Ms. Candullo also appreciated the way Shen Yun weaves spirituality and faith into its performance. Reflecting on the company’s mission to raise awareness of ongoing human rights abuses in present-day China, she said, “It’s important and part of the reason why we’re even here.”
“I’m so grateful that [the artists] are putting themselves out this way,” she said. “The whole creative process is amazing.”
“Of course, the music and the costumes are gorgeous. That’s what I was coming to see, the costumes, but now there’s so many more things swirling in my mind right now. Awesome.”
