Providence, Rhode Island: "The Magic of the Show Really Swept Me Away!" (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) As part of its 2010 World Tour, the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts Company staged two awe inspiring shows at The Providence Performing Arts Center, in Providence, Rhode Island on June 26-27, 2010.

Mr. Sengpraseuth, an orthodontist, attended Shen Yun with his wife Lisa and daughter Teresa.

"The Magic of the Show Really Swept Me Away!"

Mr. Sengpraseuth, an orthodontist, attended the show with his wife, Lisa, and their daughter, Teresa.

Inspired by a TV ad that they saw about Shen Yun, they decided to see the show.

"I think it was magnificent and the magic of the show really swept me away!" enthused Teresa, who also practices kung-fu and plays the piano.

She was full of praise for the dancers, saying they were very talented and described the singers as great.

"The show is just spectacular! It was magnificent and very beautiful. I like the way dancers portray all different parts of China together in unity--it's very beautiful," she said.

Lisa thought the show was "out of this world!" with Mr. Sengpraseuth adding, "It's magnificent. It's filled with energy, yes, and grace."

The couple's parents were born in China, so they were very keen on seeing how China's ancient culture would be portrayed, live on stage.

In closing, Mr. Sengpraseuth commented on the fact that Shen Yun is "Not just musical art ... it's everything. You know, you see the show, and you understand about China."

"Very, Very Exciting"

Mr. Chen was accompanied to Shen Yun by his wife Betty.

Originally from China, Qin Xiao Chen emigrated to the United States about 65 years ago. He attended the show with his wife, Betty.

The couple said that they thoroughly enjoyed the show and were glad that they had come.

"I don't know how to describe it, but it's really very, very exciting," said Mr. Chen.

He said that the dance set, The Buddha's Teachings Spread Far and Wide, reminded him of his own childhood in China.

Being avid travelers, the couple makes a point of visiting China every five years.

Shen Yun "An Amazing Show"

Annette Deninno, a retired medical technologist.

Annette Deninno, a retired medical technologist, described the Shen Yun performance as "magnificent!"

"The music was haunting and beautiful," she said.

She praised the female dancers, saying that they were "graceful." "They looked liked butterflies--they moved so gracefully."

Ms. Deninno thoroughly enjoyed the cultural aspects of the show, explaining, "Their culture is beautiful. That's probably one of the biggest things. I've never been exposed to this portion of it."

In discussing the show's state-of-the-art animated backdrop, Ms. Deninno said it was amazing. "Very delicately done, too. This is an amazing show. I would recommend it to anyone."

"A Universal Message"

Dale and Joseph Blumen, who also attended Sunday afternoon's performance.

Joseph Blumer, a medical doctor, saw the performance accompanied by his wife, Dale, a marriage and family therapist.

The couple thought the backdrop used behind the dancers was "beautiful," with Joseph, saying, "It was unusual as far as my experience goes." He referred to the backdrop as inventive and "above all, entertaining."

They both appreciated the visuals in the show, as well as the costumes and the choreography.

Sharing her experience of Shen Yun, Dale explained, "I liked the costumes, their beautiful, beautiful costumes and the precision choreography.

"And the meaningful message," Dale continued, "the meaningful message that came across. There's a universal message."

For Dale, the show was "a spiritual journey as well as a journey about China--change in China."

Joseph said that the show artistically portrayed "an opening into a culture."

Dance Teacher: "Every Part of Their Body Told a Story"

Dance team

Elizabeth Melfi, the dance coach at Our Lady of Fatima High School, took her entire dance team to see Shen Yun.

"The girls are getting a wonderful representation of a different form of dance that they've never seen before, so it was a wonderful experience for them," she said.

Ms. Melfi explained that she and the girls came to the show hoping to take "some small things" away with them―things that they gleamed from the show―and incorporate them into their own dances sets.

"Obviously this type of dance takes years and years and lots of practice," said Ms. Melfi. "But even just the simple way that they held their hands, so delicately--every part of their body told a story.

"Whether they were doing a major leap or they were just standing there in a formation, every part of them--their heads were tilted in the same direction, and it's those small details that I think can make a big difference to a dance team. I think the girls really got that message today."

As a dance teacher, she found the show enlightening in many respects, not just for the girls, but for the dancers and also the dance teachers.

She said that watching the different dance sets gave the teachers an insight into, yet another way, to teach dance.

So instead of dealing with just the dance performance itself, she saw a way to incorporate the meaning behind the dances.

"I think it would be nice to incorporate something like that into our dance team and actually tell a story or give a message along with the dance."

Ms. Melfi realized that Shen Yun was not just about dance and music, but also incorporated stories about culture. She found this very interesting.

"What was so interesting about this performance was the meaning and the folklore behind it, and really telling a story of a culture," Ms. Melfi said.

When asked if the dance team would be coming back next year to see the show, she exclaimed, "We'd love to! That would be fantastic!"

Shen Yun "Amazing" Says Music Student

Lawrence Lee took his wife, Sandy, and their son Lawrence Jr., a music student at Berklee College of Music, to the Shen Yun show.

Being of Chinese descent and raised in the United States, Mr. Lee thought the show was "really quite fun to see."

What interested him most was the technical challenge of performing Chinese music on Western instruments and how to come to terms with current affairs presented in the program.

Mr. Lee was referring to a dance set, Nothing Can Block the Divine Path, which depicts the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in contemporary China.

Lawrence Jr., a Berklee music student who studies film scoring, called the music "completely phenomenal."

He enjoyed the combination of classical Chinese music and newer compositions performed on Western instruments.

He carefully observed how the animated backdrop worked hand-in-hand with the music and the dancers.

"So I had to think from a film perspective, but also a musical theater perspective because there are a couple of different mediums, here. It was amazing."

Mrs. Lee commented on the dance aspect of the show, saying, "It was just gorgeous!"

She said the female dancers were "so graceful," and she especially enjoyed the fan dance, the handkerchiefs, "Oh, the handkerchiefs dance was superb," she said, and the silk sleeve dance.

When asked if she would recommend the show to others, she excitedly replied, "Oh, absolutely, it was the most beautiful!"

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38179/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38181/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38172/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38123/