CALGARY, Alberta—On Easter Sunday afternoon, the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary held its first Shen Yun Performing Arts show this year. Among the audience members of the full house show was Mr. Green, co-founder and co-artistic director, actor, for one of Calgary’s most successful theatre companies.
“It’s marvelous. I really enjoy this tradition,” he said during the show’s intermission.
“I’m very moved. I feel lucky that we’re able to see the traditional Chinese, and it pains me to think that such a beautiful show would be considered subversive in contemporary China.”
Two of the dances in this year’s 2009 World Tour depict scenes in modern China that describe the persecution Falun Gong practitioners experience there.
“It’s sort of sad to get to understand that,” he said.
“I can tell you that I’m very engaged with notions of censorship and oppression. Those things engage me. Those issues engage me profoundly, because I am a creative artist, and I’m used to expressing myself, and watching this reminds me of the story of the Ukrainians that came here to help found this part of the country.”
Those Ukrainians, he said, kept their own dance and music alive in Canada after it was suppressed almost to extinction in the former Soviet Union. When the Iron Curtain fell, those forms could begin their revival.
When asked about the music, and how it worked with the dance, Mr. Green said, “I’m enjoying it all. It’s a very holistic approach too. For me its theatre, because it has story-telling, dance, and music together with visual arts, and to me, it’s a high form of theatre.”
His daughter, Maya, and her friend, Alia, said they also enjoyed the show.
“I think it is a really good show. I really liked it,” said Maya.
“I think it has lots of different dances, interesting dancers, and ideas from the dancers,” added Alia.
This was the first of three performances taking place this long weekend in Calgary, before the tour continues in Edmonton. The Canadian leg of Shen Yun’s tour will then finish in Regina.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
“It’s marvelous. I really enjoy this tradition,” he said during the show’s intermission.
“I’m very moved. I feel lucky that we’re able to see the traditional Chinese, and it pains me to think that such a beautiful show would be considered subversive in contemporary China.”
Two of the dances in this year’s 2009 World Tour depict scenes in modern China that describe the persecution Falun Gong practitioners experience there.
“It’s sort of sad to get to understand that,” he said.
“I can tell you that I’m very engaged with notions of censorship and oppression. Those things engage me. Those issues engage me profoundly, because I am a creative artist, and I’m used to expressing myself, and watching this reminds me of the story of the Ukrainians that came here to help found this part of the country.”
Those Ukrainians, he said, kept their own dance and music alive in Canada after it was suppressed almost to extinction in the former Soviet Union. When the Iron Curtain fell, those forms could begin their revival.
When asked about the music, and how it worked with the dance, Mr. Green said, “I’m enjoying it all. It’s a very holistic approach too. For me its theatre, because it has story-telling, dance, and music together with visual arts, and to me, it’s a high form of theatre.”
His daughter, Maya, and her friend, Alia, said they also enjoyed the show.
“I think it is a really good show. I really liked it,” said Maya.
“I think it has lots of different dances, interesting dancers, and ideas from the dancers,” added Alia.
This was the first of three performances taking place this long weekend in Calgary, before the tour continues in Edmonton. The Canadian leg of Shen Yun’s tour will then finish in Regina.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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