TAIPEI, Taiwan—Shen Yun Performing Arts arrived at the second stop of its six-city tour in Taiwan on April 10, when it took to the stage to a sold-out performance at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei. Among those in the attendance was one of the highest-ranked Taiwanese politicians.
Su Jia-chyuan, the president of Taiwan’s legislature, also known as the Legislative Yuan, returned to see Shen Yun on April 10, after having seen it for the first time two years ago.
“I feel like I have been powered up by positive energy for two hours. I hope everyone will come to enjoy such energy,” Su said, adding “It was an energy of compassion.”
Su said he enjoyed the different programs this year, which were different from what he saw two years ago.
Shen Yun, founded in 2006, is a classical Chinese dance and music company based in New York. And every year since, the company has toured the world with an entirely new production—including all new choreography, music, and costumes.
“The group effort behind these programs, the tempo with these programs, and the synchronized movement [of the dancers] all made the performance like a delicately-crafted, exquisite piece of artwork,” Su said.
He added that the backdrop, how dancers were seemingly walking in and out of it, really added to the whole performance.
The backdrop that Su referred to is Shen Yun’s unique digital backdrop, which brings the audience on a visual tour of China’s geography, society, regions, and dynasties. According to Shen Yun’s website, the backdrop can “transport the audience to a world where heaven and earth are one.”
Su added that he enjoyed the story dances, how even though not a word was spoken, he could understand and appreciate the meanings behind these dances.
Through these story dances, which are like excerpts of the 5,000 years of Chinese history, Shen Yun is reviving an ancient past that is lost in modern-day China. According to Shen Yun’s website, every story dance embodies and celebrates virtues, such as courage and piety, that “were at the heart of Chinese civilization for thousands of years.”
Su stated that he especially enjoyed a story dance about good versus evil. He elaborated: “Shen Yun tells us what is being good, and what is being bad. And it also tells us how we should walk the path of being good, and then what kind of result awaits us. This is wonderful.”
