VANCOUVER, Canada—Marina manager Amanda Watson had seen the advertisement for Shen Yun Performing Arts for years before finally deciding to attend the company’s evening show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 10.
“It’s amazing. I’ve seen advertisements for many years, and it’s meeting all expectations. It’s fantastic,” she said.
“The costumes and the story that they’re putting on. Their [facial expressions] and the humor in it, it’s unexpected; it’s good.”
Ms. Watson especially enjoyed the ethnic Manchurian dance, where the ladies of the Qing Dynasty court danced elegantly on elevated “flower pot” shoes.
She also loved the company’s live orchestra, which seamlessly combined the best of Eastern and Western musical traditions, featuring traditional Chinese folk instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and pipa, an ancient lute.
“You can tell it’s live. It’s amazing in how it matches up with the dancers exactly,” Ms. Watson said. “They’ve choreographed it wonderfully.”
As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China’s 5,000 years of history are rich with breathtaking legends and time-honored traditions. Yet within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, much of this magnificent culture was destroyed.
The spread of atheism rapidly undermined belief in the divine, and the cherished virtues drawn from Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were swept away.
Today, New York–based Shen Yun is working to revive this lost civilization and to bring back, through dance and music, the beauty of China before communism.
Ms. Watson appreciated the company’s effort and thought it was wonderful to enjoy “the different cultural experiences.”
Shen Yun dancers are highly trained in classical Chinese dance—an art form with a history spanning thousands of years, celebrated for its athleticism and expressive power. What many may not realize is that numerous tumbling techniques often associated with gymnastics and acrobatics actually originate from classical Chinese dance.
Ms. Watson loved their flipping and tumbling techniques. “The guys can dance and jump so high. It’s incredible,” she said. “You can really follow along with the stories. Very, very good.”
Since its establishment in 2006, Shen Yun has earned widespread acclaim. Each year, the artists present a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions, ensuring that both new and returning audience members are always in for a surprise.
