LONDON, UK—Company director Rob Holder was blown away by the artistry of Shen Yun Performing Arts after attending the company’s matinee at the Eventim Apollo on Jan. 14. He enjoyed the whole performance immensely.
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. According to the website, Shen Yun’s orchestra is the first in the world to permanently combine ancient Chinese and Western instruments.
Built on the foundation of classical Western orchestration, the original compositions highlight traditional Chinese melodies and instruments such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa, an ancient Chinese lute. Together, they create a profound emotional range that captures the depth of the human experience.
“It’s a personal thing. It just gets into your soul,” Mr. Holder added. He especially enjoyed closing his eyes and letting the music wash over him.
Mr. Holder also appreciated the divine element of the performance, as well as Shen Yun’s innovative use of animated 3D backdrops to tell stories from ancient times to the present day. The technology is so advanced that it has been awarded its own patent.
“It certainly brought the spirituality there, which I quite liked. How they conveyed it through fairytales and things like that, which is obviously quite interesting. Very good.”
“Considering the energy they have to put into it, it’s quite spectacular. My background is martial arts as well, so I can particularly appreciate the moves that they’re doing. Very good,” he praised.
“Congratulations. It’s a lifelong passion of theirs, obviously, the work they put in, and the dedication. So, congratulations, they’ve done an amazing job.”
