After months of grey skies and inclement weather, the sky cleared and the sun shone for much of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ five-show run at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre Jan 10–13.
The shows drew near capacity crowds, and if audience response is any indication, Shen Yun is fast becoming one of the world’s most loved performing groups.
New York-based Shen Yun has made a yearly stop in Vancouver since the company was formed in 2006, and with its annual global tours, the show has become one of the world’s leading stage productions.
Combining dance, music by a live orchestra, humour, and education, Shen Yun’s production values have made it the most accessible way to experience traditional Chinese culture, which the ancients believed was divinely inspired.
Julia Kim, vice president and investment counsellor at RBC Phillips, Hager & North Investment Counsel and also board director of the Vancouver Opera, had high praise for the performance.
“What impressed me was the aesthetics of it,” she said. “The beauty of the performers, the costumes—everything coming together to create one big experience. There’s just nothing quite like it.”
In its efforts to revive China’s cultural heritage—which was largely destroyed due to various communist campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution—Shen Yun showcases the principles, values, and excellence that were common in ancient times in the Middle Kingdom.
Renowned Chinese baritone Song Xuewei, also known as Marco Song, detected this and was deeply touched by the performance.
