EDINBURGH, UK—Senior personal banker Jade Taggart and her father, James, a marina operative, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the Edinburgh Playhouse on Feb. 10. They were awed by the beauty of the dances and China’s rich history.
“It’s amazing. It’s so colorful, so lively,” Ms. Taggart said. “It’s so good.”
The most memorable piece for her was the story-based dance, ’How the Monkey King Came to Be.' At first, Ms. Taggart thought the piece was based on a television program, but she was delighted to discover it was drawn from the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West.”
“It’s amazing. You can learn so much just from watching that,” she said. “You can learn so much about the story just by visually watching it, and the music.”
“Ten out of 10,” Mr. Taggart chimed in. “I think it’s great.”
As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China has a 5,000-year history rich in 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. Taggart believes this mission is “very important everywhere in the world.”
“I think [traditional Chinese history] is quite interesting. You learn so much from even just [the performance,]” she shared.
“It’s ultimately important for everybody in the world to have their own tradition and be able to go by their own tradition and not be told what to do or conform.”
In addition to recounting ancient legends, Shen Yun takes audiences on a journey across China’s vast regions, introducing them to ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive dance style.
Ms. Taggart was particularly wowed by ‘The Ladies’ Manchurian Ethnic Dance,’ in which elegant yet playful Qing Dynasty court ladies danced with elaborate headdresses and elevated “flower pot” shoes.
“The balancing is amazing. I love the wee shoes,” she said.
Ms. Taggart had originally hoped to bring her grandfather to the performance. Although he was unable to attend, she was pleased to learn that the company offers a streaming platform, Shen Yun Creations, where viewers can enjoy dances from previous seasons and exclusive behind-the-scenes content at home.
Last but not least, Ms. Taggart would like to commend the Shen Yun artists for their dedication.
“Congratulations,” she said. The performance “is absolutely amazing, and I think it’s a really important message to be sending out as well. Thanks for bringing it to Scotland.”
