(Clearwisdom.net) For the last four years, I have had the opportunity to see Shen Yun perform. The first time I saw Shen Yun this year was on NTD Television. I noticed that this year Shen Yun used colors differently from the previous three years. The costumes were closer in color to the background. For example, in one dance, the dancers' costumes were bright orange, while the background showed a prairie in the fall in a slightly darker hue of orange. In another dance, the background had pink flowers and green trees, and the dancers had pink and green in their outfits.
When I studied architecture in college, I took painting classes, which covered color theories. When I first saw the colors in the Shen Yun dances, those notions acquired earlier in my life made me think, "The background is too bright. There is not enough contrast between the foreground and background, and the background competes with the dancers. The two should have contrasting colors, so that the dancers could stand out more." Then I remembered that Shen Yun was the standard, while my notions came from ordinary people's "knowledge," which has largely deviated from an upright path. When my notions conflict with Shen Yun, I should know that my notions are incorrect.
Soon afterward, I was able to see Shen Yun in person and experience the wonder of these color combinations. As the lights shone on the dancers, the background was relatively dark, so the colorful background did not detract from the audience's attention on the dancers at all. To the contrary, because the costumes were of the same color as the background, it looked as though the dancers were walking onto the stage from a painting. Media reports confirmed that many in the audience said that the costumes and background were beautifully integrated. Some also said that they sensed the harmony that exists between mankind and nature.
Four years ago when I first saw Shen Yun, I was stunned by its splendid colors. In our daily lives, especially in Germany, people wear very simple colors. In the winter, they mostly wear black and gray. Even in the spring and summer, the colors of their clothes are usually neutral. Many people think this shows they have good taste.
When I was in architecture school in China, many students in my department thought black was "cool." When we went on painting trips, they only painted old temples that had not been renovated for a long time, thinking that they were "tasteful." The temples that had been renovated were ignored for being banal and pedestrian.
After I began practicing Falun Gong, I noticed that, as I had less and less dark matter in me, my view of clothes also changed. When I shopped for clothes, my eyes lingered on brighter colors. There are fewer and fewer black and gray pieces in my wardrobe.
However, after so many years, my notions had not been completely removed. It wasn't until I saw the Shen Yun performance that I detected my notions on color and the source of those notions.
Tang Dynasty fashions used very bright colors. When a culture is at its peak and full of life, everything about it pleases people. The colors [of the Tang Dynasty] were pure and rich. When a culture is declining, the colors are sad and deteriorated, such as the culture found in China. Actually, the same is true for European cultures. They have passed their peak, and many artworks now contain very dark colors.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is restoring the culture to its purest and most beautiful state. This is not just Chinese culture, but all the cultures of the world. The splendid colors in Shen Yun's performances are the manifestation of this purest culture. There are no dark shadows. Everything is bright. Every time I saw a Shen Yun performance, I felt purified. The more we let go of our human notions, the more we can see the beauty and sacredness of Shen Yun.
