SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Tokyo Audience Mesmerized by Shen Yun: ‘The Performance Has a Special Charm’

Jan 25, 2023
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Tokyo Audience Mesmerized by Shen Yun: ‘The Performance Has a Special Charm’
Mr. Imai Kouiti, the chair of Japan’s 3D Works Standardization Affairs Bureau, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Bunka Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times)

TOKYO, Japan—Japanese audience members were mesmerized by New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 24 at Tokyo’s Shinjuku Bunka Center. The brightness of Shen Yun’s colors, art, and content had some theatergoers describing the light of Shen Yun as comparable to the sun.

“The dancers danced from beginning to end to present different stories in different programs. In the end, all programs are telling one story of traditional Chinese culture. I was mesmerized, inside of it completely. It’s really amazing,” said Ms. Satsuta Yukiyo, the president of a high-end gym.

Ms. Satsuta said that she was attracted by Shen Yun’s costumes, which are very beautiful both in color and style. Besides the costumes, she found many exciting points.

“The dancers used their bodies as the axis of spinning. They used their bodies in a very clever way to make people feel their bodies are longer, and their movements are bigger,” she said. “However, their bodies were very stable. The axis didn’t move at all. This made their movements very smooth. This technique is remarkable.”

Ms. Satsuta also enjoyed the vocalists.

“They didn’t use a microphone, but their voices are very bright and traveled very far. All of us theatergoers could hear them clearly. It’s stunning!” she said.

Ms. Satsuta said that Shen Yun’s design made her feel that she was part of the programs, witnessing the scenes of history. She was amazed by the last program, in which she saw the stage spreading “sun-like lights, which warmed me up and made me feel happy.”

Ms. Satsuta Yukiyo, the president of a high-end gym in Tokyo, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Bunka Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Wang Wenliang/The Epoch Times)
Ms. Satsuta Yukiyo, the president of a high-end gym in Tokyo, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Bunka Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Wang Wenliang/The Epoch Times)
Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, presented through highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.

‘They Are Really Amazing’

Mr. Imai Kouiti is the chair of Japan’s 3D Works Standardization Affairs Bureau. He said the dancers are excellent not only because of their high-level skills, but also their expressions.

“I sit very close to the stage. I saw the dancers’ expressions were always cheerful. Sometimes, the male dancers looked serious, in order to match the stories,” he said.

Mr. Imai praised the dancers as “extraordinarily outstanding!”

“I love the female classical Chinese dances. The movements are so graceful and elegant.” He said. “The male dancers have superb balance. They did lots of high-difficulty movements and did them very well.”

Mr. Seki Kiyonobu is a department manager of a book publisher. He was surprised that all Shen Yun dancers were world-class.

“Normally you can see the difference among dancers in the group dance. But all dancers in Shen Yun are fantastic and have incredible skills,” he said. “This is a real high-level group. They are really amazing.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company. It has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of the 5,000 years of China’s civilization. Chinese culture was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, virtues like loyalty, propriety, wisdom, justice, and benevolence—values that are universal and shared the world over.

‘I Saw a Different China’

“Shen Yun calmed me down, and showed me the long history of a China which has rich traditions and culture. The classical Chinese dance is awesome,” said Mr. Sasaki Teruhide, who owns a farm.

Mr. Sasaki felt great satisfaction after the performance, and he credited the dances, music, backdrop, costumers, and many other aspects.

“The performance has a special charm that you can’t find in Japan ... It brought me a totally fresh feeling. I was deeply touched by the brilliant classical Chinese dance and the profound Chinese tradition,” said Mr. Sasaki.

He said he was inspired by Shen Yun and felt that “I saw a different China” from the current mainland China.

Mr. Sasaki Teruhide attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Bunka Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times)
Mr. Sasaki Teruhide attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Bunka Center in Tokyo, Japan, on Jan. 24, 2023. (Annie Gong/The Epoch Times)
Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Tokyo, Japan.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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