NEW YORK—Many Chinese who attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance on Jan. 18 gave their praise for the traditional culture that was displayed. The fact that Shen Yun has been embraced across the world has left many Chinese people feeling truly proud.
Mr. Deng Xueyuan was seeing Shen Yun for the first time at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Jan. 18. “Shen Yun performance, on the whole, is world class. It is definitely a top-notch show by international standards,” Deng Xueyuan said.
“Everything we see in the show was designed marvelously. It was stunning! From the beginning to the end of the show, our attention was grabbed: the stage design was spectacular, and the customs were exquisite and modest. Most important, all the performers had excellent concentration.”
What was more astonishing to Mr. Deng were the animated backdrops and live orchestra: “The coordination between the backdrop and the dancers was a testament to precision. Unlike other shows that play recorded music, Shen Yun’s live orchestra was unique.”
“Many stories from ancient Chinese mythology and history were done brilliantly. The [plots] of these stories were well developed though they were short. The stories were told vividly so that people could easily follow them,” he added.
Mr. Deng further elaborated, “This performance truly reflected the traditional Chinese culture—the true Chinese culture. Many people had told me about Shen Yun, but I just never had the opportunity to come and see it until today. Now, having seen it, I believe that I’ve benefited in so many ways.
I will recommend this performance to my friends and tell them not to miss out on a great performance like Shen Yun.”
Show Business Manager
Mr. Song, a Chinese man from Shanghai, has been in show business management for many years. He was once in charge of stage management for one of the largest television stations in China before coming to the U.S.
Not only had he seen many performances in China, but he had also traveled to Russia, Japan, Australia, Europe and the US to see many large-scale performances.
After seeing Shen Yun in the afternoon of Jan. 18, he was utterly overwhelmed, saying “When I finally got to see Shen Yun in person, ‘Wow.’ This was so different. I was simply stunned.”
He complimented the performance by saying “The colors of costumes were dazzling and saturated. The coordination of the different colors was incredible. Nobody could simply have predicted how wonderful Shen Yun performance would be before coming to see it.”
Mr. Song said that the incorporation of the animated backdrop was executed to perfection. “From the perspectives of time and space, the extension of the stage, and changes in the time frame, it was simply superb how the performers [seemingly] landed on stage from the animated backdrop. I feel like I am still dreaming right now, as if I had not awakened from the dream.”
Commenting on the musical instruments in the Shen Yun orchestra, he said “There were both Chinese and Western instruments. For those who know a thing or two about music, Chinese instruments can better convey a mood, a story, or metaphorical meaning.
Meanwhile, Western instruments place great emphasis on power and energy. So, when I heard the music that was the result of the perfect unison between Chinese and Western instruments, I was simply hypnotized.”
Mr. Song said emotionally at the end: “Shen Yun is a blend of so many extraordinary elements which moved me deeply. I could not help tears from streaming down my face during the performance. I feel that this is the pride of all Chinese people—if only Shen Yun could perform in China! I sincerely hope more and more people can come watch a Shen Yun performance.”
Newly Arrived From China
Amy Tan, who moved from China to the United States a year ago, was among the audience at the Lincoln Center in New York for the Shen Yun performance on Jan. 18. After the performance, she joyfully said: “The animated backdrop is so real, so movie-like.
“The costumes from different ethnics groups and dynasties were very beautiful. The music by the combination of Chinese and Western instruments was very pleasing and coordinated. I feel like I am up in the cloud—very pleasant, very comfortable.
“The classical [Chinese] historical stories, such as The Four Great Novels, are worth reading. Even though I am familiar with these stories, seeing these stories acted out by [Shen Yun] performers gave me great new impressions. I was struck by familiarity, excitement, combined with a high-spirited feeling of confidence bursting from the bottom of the heart.”
Mr. Austin Actor, who attended the show with Ms. Tan, is a federal investigator. He recalled the sorrowful memory that during a trip to Beijing nine years ago, he had seen many ancient pieces of architecture destroyed. However, he was pleased to see the ancient spiritual values being shared during Shen Yun’s performance. He said he will bring more friends to see this show and will definitely come again next year.
Ms. Tan said the 5,000-year traditional Chinese culture represents universal values. “I appreciate the hard work of [Shen Yun]. If Shen Yun doesn’t promote the traditional culture, values from ancient history and cultures will slowly be forgotten.
“I am so proud tonight—proud of Chinese culture. This is my first time seeing Shen Yun. I will introduce the performance to others, telling them that they should definitely come to see it.”
Reporting by Hannah Cai and Frank Fang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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