(Clearwisdom.net) It was a desire to learn more about Chinese dance that brought Doug and Cynthia to the Shen Yun performance this evening.
Cynthia, a college Art teacher, attended the December 27th evening performance of New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Civic Theatre in Downtown San Diego.
Cynthia praised the fan dance as "Elegant ... maybe the most beautiful fan dance I've ever seen." She also particularly liked the way props used in the dances, such as drums, plates, and lanterns--all things that come from Chinese culture--played a role in the day to day lives of the people there.
College teachers Cynthia and Doug at Shen Yun's December 27th performance in San Diego
Shen Yun provided Doug and Cynthia with something they had been looking for: a window into authentic Chinese culture and classical Chinese dance.
"The 20th century was not very kind to Chinese culture. It's good to see that it's alive and well," said Doug.
"It's also very sad that people in China are not allowed to live as freely as they would like to live and participate in their art, culture and religion ... it touches upon some sadness. At the same time it preserves, historically a lot of the beauty of the culture," Cynthia said.
Doug, a college Art History teacher, continued, "And the diversity--all the ethnic diversity! I liked the scenes with the Dai, the Mongolians, and the Tibetans. It's great that this much culture is intact and in this country for us to share," he added. "I'm glad about all the spirituality of it. They could have put it all behind the scenes. I liked that the spiritual aspect came out- very freely and very openly."
Hong Kong-born Chinese Feel the Spirituality of Shen Yun
Ms. Chan is a realtor and she watched Sunday's show with her sister, Ms. Lo. They are originally from Hong Kong.
Ms. Chan particularly enjoyed the dance Fairies of the Clouds, which portrays celestial fairies soaring gently through the heavens. She added, "The costumes are beautiful and the backdrop designs [are] so colorful."
Ms. Chan felt that the messages expressed in the show "such as teaching you to be humble," were meaningful.
Ms. Lo added that the show is about Chinese culture and tradition. "You can feel the spirituality. There is the message of compassion, love. This is our culture," she said.
Both women were pleased to hear that Shen Yun will perform in Hong Kong in January.
Ms. Chan and Ms. Lo at the San Diego Civic Theatre on Sunday
Falun Dafa's "Persistence and Indomitable Spirit" can't be repressed
Ms. Welch, a retail manager for a nation-wide department store, attended Sunday's show with Mr. Brown, a computer scientist.
Ms. Welch said about Shen Yun, "I think it's very enlightening; I'm very much enjoying it. I like the ... connection that it's making with the dance and the situations throughout China."
She was referring to the performances that depict the persecution of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that has been suppressed in China for 10 years. She liked the idea of how the victims' "persistence and indomitable spirit" couldn't be repressed.
Mr. Brown had similar sentiments. He said that the dance Nothing Can Block the Divine Path was inspiring and reflected "the incomparable will of the human being."
In addition to the meaningful themes expressed through dance, Ms. Welch felt that the singers were inspiring.
Mr. Brown added, "I love the coloring and pageantry, the combination of emotion and colors is very beautiful, so visually it's a very beautiful experience."
Mr. Brown and Ms. Welch at Shen Yun's Sunday evening show in San Diego
Hospital Director: 'Very impressive, a lot of energy and commitment'
Shen Yun also had a matinee performance on Sunday. Among the audience were Mr. Ward, a director of cultural and linguistic services at a major district hospital, and his wife, Ms. Rowe, a university teacher. Mr. Ward has spent his life committed to non-violent social change, healing, and transformation on a global level.
He was struck by the dancers. "I am very impressed by the talent of the young people on stage. They have a lot of energy and commitment. Very impressive," he said.
He was also impressed with the contrast between the male and female dancers and how they were able to hold a balance between each other.
Mr. Ward, a director of cultural and linguistic services, with his wife, Ms. Rowe, a university teacher
Ms. Rowe also enjoyed the show. She commented on the performance Nothing Can Block the Divine Path in which a mother and her daughter are persecuted for their belief in the spiritual discipline Falun Dafa.
"I liked [the dance in which] they were practicing their spiritual practice and the police attacked," she said.
In this dance, she was particularly impressed by the female dancer, "her leaps and the height she took," and the story within the performance.
She added, "I'm also enjoying learning about the spiritual teaching that is new to me-- Falun Gong."
"The dance and the music is wonderful. A lot of harmony and ease with the rhythm."
Mr. Ward mentioned that he was very moved by the erhu solo performance. The erhu is a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument with a hauntingly beautiful sound.
Source:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27084/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27094/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27093/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27058/
Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
