CHARLOTTE, N.C.—On Jan. 6, company owner Joe Wayne and his sister Rory, treated their mother, Gina, to a show by
Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Mrs. Wayne had wanted to see the performance for years. So, in celebration of her 65th birthday, Mr. Wayne flew in from Seattle and brought her to the company’s evening performance at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
The family had a wonderful time, and Mrs. Wayne said, “It was a very special gift.”
“The performance quality was incredible. The colors and synchronization were just immense. The precision of the dancers was spectacular,” Mr. Wayne said.
“To see a show of this quality in Charlotte was very special. It’s not common to see performing arts at this level outside of larger city centers. They’re really impressive.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in
classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.
Ms. Wayne loved that the
artists “moved each part of their body with such fluid grace and intention.”
“Everything from the expressions on their faces to the flick of their wrists was perfectly done and in sync with each other,” she added. “You can tell that they moved as a unit, and that’s really, really beautiful to watch.”
Shen Yun’s performance is comprised of a series of short pieces that take 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, Shen Yun tells
tales from ancient times to the modern day.
Ms. Wayne especially enjoyed Shen Yun’s storyline dance that recounted a famous scene from the
Chinese literary classic, ‘Journey to the West.’
“I liked the Monkey King story—Just the drama and the storytelling—[the hosts] did a great job of introducing each story, but if you pay attention, you’d see so much more of what’s happening. It was really theatrical, and I liked that,” she stated.
Mr. Wayne appreciated that in addition to reviving traditional Chinese culture,
Shen Yun addressed contemporary human rights issues under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP.)
“The persecution scene where they showed the CCP harvesting the organs of a
Falun Gong practitioner was shocking, and it’s real,” he said.
“The communist party is one of the most oppressive
regimes on the planet. It’s really good that Shen Yun is out here doing this. [The story] was fantastic.”
Reporting by Henry Chen and Jennifer Tseng.
