NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Singer Brenda Lee said Shen Yun Performing Arts is “top-notch” after seeing the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville on Feb. 4.
“The whole thing all went together so well, it all touched me,” Ms. Lee said. “I loved every minute. I loved the sad parts, the good parts. It was wonderful.”
Ms. Lee’s songs regularly topped the charts in the 1960s. During that decade she came in fourth with the highest number of hit songs, after Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Ray Charles. Among her big hits are “I’m Sorry” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which has become a holiday classic. She sold over 100 million records worldwide throughout her career and has been inducted into the Rock & Roll and the Country Music Halls of Fame.
Ms. Lee said she came to see Shen Yun because, as a performer herself, she likes to see other performances and learn from them.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was formed by a group of elite Chinese artists in 2006 to revive “the beauty and goodness of China before communism,” according to Shen Yun’s website.
The company presents classical Chinese dance, which is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world. The mini-dramas presented through dance in Shen Yun depict stories from the history and legends of China.
The story-based dances are accompanied by an orchestra, which combines traditional Chinese instruments with classical Western instruments. Shen Yun also features performances by vocalists who sing Chinese lyrics using the bel canto style.
Ms. Lee said she loved Shen Yun’s music.
“I loved it. Very, very good music, and I know good music,” she said.
“The orchestra, the musicians, the dancers, the singers—it was top-notch.”
Overall, the performance was “wonderful,” Ms. Lee said.
“I’m glad I came.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
