PHILADELPHIA—For Joseph Perrone, director of theater arts at the Pottstown School District, Shen Yun Performing Arts was a wonderful experience.
“It’s just so flawless, so seamless, and it just works so well,” he said, after seeing Shen Yun on April 4 at Merriam Theater in Philadelphia.
New york-based Shen Yun tours the globe reviving China’s 5,000 year-old culture through music and dance—and technology.
It was the digital backdrops, which are harmonized with the dancers on stage and the music from the orchestra, that caught Mr. Perrone’s attention.
“I learned that there’s a lot to be integrated with the technology and the traditional,” he said.
Patented, state-of-the-art graphics technology creates the backdrops, which “are magical windows to completely different realms,” according to Shen Yun’s website.
“Inspired by 5,000 years of history, these spectacular landscapes truly reflect China’s multifaceted geography, society, regions, and dynasties. Some scenes even transcend this world, entering a heavenly palace where fairies dance amidst mystical clouds or peering into the solemn majesty of a Buddhist paradise.”
Dance is a universal language that connects people, according to Mr. Perrone.
“It’s as powerful as any written word or spoken word,” he said.
Classical Chinese dance forms the core of a Shen Yun performance, and is complimented by ethnic and folk dance.
Another aspect of Shen Yun that also pleased Mr. Perrone was the elaborate costumes.
“The costumes were gorgeous; the multitude of costumes, the colors, the way the performers moved in them and used them as part of themselves, it was just wonderful,” he said.
Reporting by Lily Sun and Zachary Stieber
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is performing at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia through May 5.
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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