(Clearwisdom.net) The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was enthusiastically received as they performed their last of three shows at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia, on May 7, 2010.

Bernard Hull and his wife Debbie

Australian opera singer and theatrical performer, Bernard Hull, attended the show with his wife, Debbie.

"I'm an opera singer and a music theatre performer," said Mr Hull, "So obviously we haven't seen this specific type of performance before--but it's very enjoyable!"

He also liked listening to the combination of Western and Chinese instruments, saying that the music composition blended very well.

Mrs. Hull agreed, saying, "It was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was lovely."

She thought the dancers' costumes were "very lovely, very nice," and especially liked the dance piece, "In a Miao Village" depicting one of China's oldest ethnic groups.

The Miao people are most known for their ornately decorated hats and costumes adorned with silver jewellery that jingle with a dancer's movements.

"They are all very different dances but that impressed me very much. But the costumes are beautiful, you know, the way they shine--really sharp in the lights," explained Mrs. Hull.

Migration agent: "The music is so beautiful, kind of calming"

Sister Patricia

Also in the audience was religious affiliate, Sister Patricia, who is also a migration agent, responsible for many Chinese refugees.

"It's just so ethereal, so heavenly really," she said.

Referring to the two dances, "Nothing Can Block the Divine Path" and "Astounding Conviction"--which depict the persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Gong in contemporary China--Sister Patricia explained, "I have deep respect for Falun Gong, and I know a lot of Falun Gong people and thanks be to God that I have been able to help them get their permanent visas to live in Australia."

She went on to say that ancient Chinese culture was a  "wonderful culture ... I have great respect and reverence for the Chinese culture and spirit, and spirituality."

She felt very fortunate to be able to attend the show saying, "I am so busy doing migration work that I miss a lot of stuff, so I am very, very, very happy to be here... it is so beautiful."

She continued, "I just love everything Chinese actually, including the food," Sister Patricia laughed. "Speaking of dances, the girls dance in their soft and gentle way, but the male dancers dance in a very active, vigorous way."

"The music is so beautiful, it was so beautiful, and kind of calming, it's just very lovely," she concluded.

Design director: 'Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

Ulli Nitschke, design director of a leading architectural firm, and his wife.

Ulli Nitschke, design director for a leading architectural firm, and his wife decided to attend the show after seeing a leaflet in a local shopping mall.

Mr. Nitschke thought the show was "very, very interesting ... it was very, very nicely presented."

Commenting on the costumes, he said, "It was a lot of tradition, ... my wife is a bridal dressmaker and she appreciated it."

Mrs. Nitschke said, "Very beautiful dresses, very beautiful dresses, absolutely."

She especially enjoyed the dance piece, "In a Miao Village," adding, "I loved the dresses--so colorful--and so very soft, and all the shiny bits on it."

As a design expert, Mr. Nitschke marvelled at the way the state-of-the art digital backdrop interacted with the performers on stage, who appear to come and go to the heavens and appear on earth.

"I liked how they appeared, from the three-dimensional stage, then dissolved with the clouds and then basically how it all rose and how they used the human body to make it grow up and down. And the moves are very, very elegant," he said.

Mr. Nitschke appreciated "the different phases ... the history and the different aspects from tenors down to drums, down to different dance performances that I have not seen before, even the Tibet regions--I liked it very much."

"The performance was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Particularly ["Heavenly Maidens"]. It was striking."

Knowing that the Chinese communist regime continues to suppress traditional culture in China, Mr. Nitschke was inspired by Shen Yun's efforts to revive China's lost culture.

He found it hard to believe that Shen Yun was not allowed to perform in China, saying, "It is just beautiful dance, why wouldn't they show it? It is good that so many Chinese now live all around the world and that they can now get back to their original roots."

Commenting on the show's various ethnic dances, Mr. Nitschke said, "What touches my heart, is the diversity of different regions. Everything touched me--the way that it was performed.

"I like Shen Yun very, very much ... it is more authentic. I also like the promise it gives to people that it is not a perfect world, but it offers hope," adding, "I wish more people could see it."

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/34987

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/35009/