Theater Patrons on Shen Yun: "We missed it last time, but not this year!"

(Clearwisdom.net) Houston's acclaimed Jones Hall for the Performing Arts held a memorable performance on Tuesday, December 22, 2009 by the highly acclaimed Shen Yun Performing Arts. Two business owners, Mr. Rosales and Ms. Blanco, attended together to take in a new culture, something they both love to do.

"We missed it last time, but not this year!" Mr. Rosales said, adding he had never seen a show with classical Chinese dance like this before.

"I loved the dancing," he said. "The colors were so explosive; the dancers were fantastic; the performance was excellent-it was fantastically performed."

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts' three touring companies travel the world, performing original pieces of dance, live music and vocal performance. The show is presented in Chinese and one other language wherever it performs.

"There was absolutely no problem understanding [the show]," Mr. Rosales said. "We learned a lot about a different culture. It's the reason why we're here. We loved the decorations and the colors, everything about the philosophy."

"We loved the music. It was a classical orchestra but with Asian instruments," he said.

"We'll see you next year," Ms. Blanco added.

Aeronautical Engineering Manager: "Impressed by all the intricate dance moves"

Mr. Villarreal, an engineering manager for a national aeronautics and space company, was surprised by his wife, who bought tickets to Shen Yun in Houston when she heard about it from their son in Boston.

"My wife surprised us. My son who lives up in Boston had heard about the show, and when [my wife] heard it was coming here, she bought tickets to the show. She surprised my son and I, and my daughter."

Mr. Villarreal said the show was magnificent. He had seen other cultural dance before, but never a Chinese dance program.

"[I was] impressed by all the intricate dance moves that they have. The most striking was how graceful the women were--how they moved their arms, and how they were able to glide--it looked like they were gliding across the stage!"

A dance in the show called Flowing Silk displays what Mr. Villarreal described. Silken sleeves flow softly through the air, much like drifting ribbons in the breeze. A lighthearted melody complements the young maiden's soft smiles and spins. Dances such as this with what Chinese call "water sleeves" are a favorite in classical Chinese dance. The sleeves' patterns conjure an image of rippling water.

Dance Student: Chinese Culture Teaches "Standing up for what you believe in"

Dance student Emily Stern from Houston also had a lot to say about Shen Yun's performance on Tuesday evening. "I thought it was beautiful, the way they put it together and the stories. You really felt like you learned a lot about the culture."

When asked what she learned about Chinese culture specifically, she said, "Standing up for what you believe in, and that you will be rewarded in the end, even if you are going through hard times."

Ms. Stern mentioned that she performs ballet, jazz, contemporary and modern styles, and that while it would be nice to learn traditional Chinese dance, it would take a long time to learn.

"Oh, I want to see it again. I enjoyed it very much, and I think I started crying the first couple of scenes that I saw. You really feel what you see .... It makes you think and wonder about things besides your everyday life."

She added that everyone should see the show. "It's beautiful-- old, young, kids, need to see [Shen Yun], because it's a cultural thing as well."