BOSTON—The three owners of the Nightingale Arts of Salem store came to see Shen Yun at Citi Wang Theatre on Feb. 28.
“I’m blown away. The choreography is just phenomenal. The costumes, just the whole flow of it. Beautiful!” said Marie Barron, one of the owners of the Nightingale Arts of Salem store.
New York-based Shen Yun revives China’s rich 5,000-year-old culture, displaying ancient legends, ethnic dances, and classical Chinese dance, as well as scenes from contemporary life in China. The performances are accompanied by a traditional Western orchestra that includes Chinese instruments.
“We love it. It’s beautiful. The costumes are wonderful, and it’s just … it’s elegant. Yes. It’s beautiful!” said Anna Chouinard, who works together with Marie Barron. “The dancers are very talented,” added Melissa Chouinard, the third woman in the group.
Classical Chinese dance combines graceful moves with more dramatic leaps and tumbling techniques.
All three women also produce visual arts, aside from operating the store in Salem, Mass.
Ms. Barron also commented on the rich colors in Shen Yun. “The color combinations and especially the costumes are fantastic. And the backgrounds are really good too. I like the way they mix the screen with the interaction,” she said.
Costumes are an integral part of Shen Yun. They use bright colors to tailor and recreate hundreds of new pieces each season. The hand-made garments span China’s dynasties, regions, and ethnic groups, according to the company’s website.
In addition, Shen Yun features a one-of-a-kind digitally animated backdrop. Blending projection technology with ancient culture, Shen Yun’s animated backdrop presents scenes from celestial palaces to Tang Dynasty pavilions, giving audiences an insight into China’s long history. The backdrop aids in the storytelling, allowing performers to move from stage to screen.
“Just the way they pop up out of the background, and the next thing you know they’re on the screen, so there’s no break in the flow,” said Anna Chouinard.
Former Dancer Calls Shen Yun ‘Phenomenal’
Mary and Jeremy Goldberg attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Citi Wang Theatre in Boston on Feb. 28, 2014. (Tim Pi/Epoch Times)
Mary Goldberg, a former student at the Royal Academy of Dance in London came to see the same performance with her husband Jeremy.
“I thought it was phenomenal,” Mrs. Goldberg said.
Mr. Goldberg also enjoyed the show. “We thought that the visuals were stimulating. Very colorful and the dancing was fantastic.”
Reporting by Tim Pi and Valentin Schmid
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
