EDMONTON, Canada—It’s not often that you can get a tour of a 5,000-year-old ancient civilization in a single evening. But that is just what Don and Lois Lucas experienced at the Shen Yun Performing Arts on Friday evening, March 25.
The couple attended the performance at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and was delighted by the traditional Chinese culture honoured in Shen Yun.
“I’m having a real peek at what traditional Chinese dance is, which I have never seen before, and it’s really lovely,” said Mrs. Lucas. “I liked that.”
“It’s a journey into historical China,” said Mr. Lucas. “It’s great.”
Mr. Lucas is a director at Encore Trucking & Transport Ltd., a family business formed 30 years ago by his father, Frank Lucas. Encore is a crane, picker truck, and transport company that services Western Canada.
Seeing Shen Yun, Mr. Lucas was surprised to discover how many different ethnic groups exist in China’s vast landscape. He especially enjoyed a folk dance entitled My Beloved Yi Village, which features the Yi ethnic group of southern China.
“I’m seeing real traditional and ethnic things. I can see the differences ... there’s so many different parts of China that they’ve got to be [ethnically diverse],” he observed.
Shen Yun is currently making its way through Western Canada on its annual global tour. The mission of the premier classical Chinese performing arts company is to revive traditional Chinese culture and art forms, a culture that has been virtually destroyed in China under the communist regime.
Mr. Lucas was impressed by the classical Chinese dance and complimented the skills of the female dancers.
“I loved the way the women walk but they don’t bounce. ... It’s like they’re just gliding—they look great,” he said.
“They float!” added Mrs. Lucas.
Classical Chinese dance, one of the world’s oldest dance forms, emphasizes refinement of character as well as physical technique to achieve perfection. Ms. Lucas said she could really see this essence in the performance.
“I really liked the cleanliness about it, its purity,” she said.
A stunning feature of Shen Yun is its large group dances, which demand precision and perfect timing among many dancers at once. Mrs. Lucas was impressed by the harmony and flow the performers were able to achieve as a group.
“The performers do it so well—there’s a oneness about it which is very nice.”
Mr. Lucas praised the dancers’ costumes, which use luxurious colours, styles, and fabrics to represent grand dynasties and heavenly kingdoms. The couple recommended the show to others:
“Go see it, because it’s nothing like you’ve seen before,” said Mrs. Lucas.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will continue to perform, in Edmonton, through till Sat. March 26, with upcoming shows in Calgary and Vancouver. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The couple attended the performance at Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and was delighted by the traditional Chinese culture honoured in Shen Yun.
“I’m having a real peek at what traditional Chinese dance is, which I have never seen before, and it’s really lovely,” said Mrs. Lucas. “I liked that.”
“It’s a journey into historical China,” said Mr. Lucas. “It’s great.”
Mr. Lucas is a director at Encore Trucking & Transport Ltd., a family business formed 30 years ago by his father, Frank Lucas. Encore is a crane, picker truck, and transport company that services Western Canada.
Seeing Shen Yun, Mr. Lucas was surprised to discover how many different ethnic groups exist in China’s vast landscape. He especially enjoyed a folk dance entitled My Beloved Yi Village, which features the Yi ethnic group of southern China.
“I’m seeing real traditional and ethnic things. I can see the differences ... there’s so many different parts of China that they’ve got to be [ethnically diverse],” he observed.
Shen Yun is currently making its way through Western Canada on its annual global tour. The mission of the premier classical Chinese performing arts company is to revive traditional Chinese culture and art forms, a culture that has been virtually destroyed in China under the communist regime.
Mr. Lucas was impressed by the classical Chinese dance and complimented the skills of the female dancers.
“I loved the way the women walk but they don’t bounce. ... It’s like they’re just gliding—they look great,” he said.
“They float!” added Mrs. Lucas.
Classical Chinese dance, one of the world’s oldest dance forms, emphasizes refinement of character as well as physical technique to achieve perfection. Ms. Lucas said she could really see this essence in the performance.
“I really liked the cleanliness about it, its purity,” she said.
A stunning feature of Shen Yun is its large group dances, which demand precision and perfect timing among many dancers at once. Mrs. Lucas was impressed by the harmony and flow the performers were able to achieve as a group.
“The performers do it so well—there’s a oneness about it which is very nice.”
Mr. Lucas praised the dancers’ costumes, which use luxurious colours, styles, and fabrics to represent grand dynasties and heavenly kingdoms. The couple recommended the show to others:
“Go see it, because it’s nothing like you’ve seen before,” said Mrs. Lucas.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will continue to perform, in Edmonton, through till Sat. March 26, with upcoming shows in Calgary and Vancouver. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
Friends Read Free