PHILADELPHIA—Shen Yun Performing Arts was a display of consummate balance to soprano Kay Krekow and Dr. Harry Dunstan, tenor and founder of the American Center for Puccini Studies.
The two attended the performance at Philadelphia’s Merriam Theatre on May 9.
“They may not realize this, but, something in everybody who was in this building tonight changed because of what they heard and what they saw,” Ms. Krekow said.
Mr. Dunstan, who has toured with major orchestras and opera companies throughout the nation, recognized the musical arrangement in Shen Yun as a culmination of the histories of the East and West.
“The musical language finally evolves to what we could hear tonight, where there’s a happy confluence of East and West,” he said. “And the Eastern thought, which was so far ahead of its time, now has a happy partner in Western music.”
Classical Chinese dance, an ancient and comprehensive dance system, forms the core of a Shen Yun performance. Along with colorful, handcrafted costumes, digital backdrops, and award-winning vocalists, a unique orchestra accentuates the dancers.
“A Western philharmonic orchestra plays the foundation, while traditional Chinese instruments lead the melodies,” states Shen Yun’s website. “The sound produced is uniquely pleasing to the ear. The ensemble at once expresses both the grandeur of a Western orchestra and the distinct sensibilities of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization.”
“It’s beautiful,” said Ms. Krekow. “It’s fascinating. And it’s the perfect use and balance of all of the instruments because they all complement each other.”
Shen Yun’s tenors and sopranos may have impressed the two even more.
Mr. Dunstan was so touched by the singing that he started crying at the first song, “and it didn’t stop.”
“There were so many times that I was sitting there thinking, ‘I am not alone,’” he said.
“It’s a perfect description,” said Ms. Krekow. “The faces of so many of the dancers were just divinely inspired. They were elsewhere, and yet they were communicating with us. They were otherworldly, and yet they were here.”
Ms. Krewkow left the performance with enlightening realizations.
“The world now has to listen because it has support, not only from an audience, but from the performers, who are obviously unafraid and brave and committed and excited and happy—because they’re able to do this,” she said.
Reporting by Pamela Tsai and Zachary Stieber.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world, with a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. The season concludes this month with performances in Honolulu and Buffalo.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
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