(Clearwisdom.net) A packed house roared with applause and three curtain calls during the second show in Geelong's Costa Hall, Australia giving a warm Ausssie welcome to the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour.
Among the enthusiastic audience were dance teacher Mrs. Thompson and her mother, Mrs. Worrall. "I suggested to my daughter that maybe she'd like to see it for her birthday," said Mrs. Worrall.
Mrs. Worrall and her daughter Mrs. Thompson, a dance teacher
Mrs. Thompson who teaches dance to secondary school students said, "I liked it, I liked all [the] styles of dance, I like to see different things integrated." She added that her favourite piece was the "final one of the first half, 'The Snow-Capped Mountain,' I liked that one. Their movement, their energy, the different rhythms in it."
Mrs. Worrall was quite moved by Shen Yun for the first time, "The backdrop, the visuals, yes, I found some of it quite moving. Especially the one with the persecution; and I also saw some Chinese people being quite moved to tears with that, it must have been bringing back memories," she said.
Mrs. Worall mentioned the performance, titled, "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution," "It's just the feeling they put into it, and there was the young girl in it, and I thought you know, when her father was dying, sobbing over his body, and you felt the grief and the anguish of people, but the joy when he was going back to his maker."
She said, "I also liked the flower one, the Udumbara. I found that ... the colours were beautiful, the light to dark, and deep colours. It was just a very calming and beautiful piece."
The piece, "The Udumbara's Bloom" that Mrs. Worall is referring to is about the legendary Udumbara flower of Buddhist lore that blossoms once every three thousand years.
Former Ballerina: "Absolutely Amazing!"
Greatly impressed by Shen Yun was Ms. Patzold, a now retired ballerina who danced with the renowned Komishe Oper Berlin Ballet Company in Germany, as well as the Sydney Dance Company. She shared her impression, "I think it was very artistic, very gentle. I saw lots of arm movements, which I think are absolutely amazing. Like for us Westerners, the arm movements look swan like, but here, it's more than that. They have so many more stories to tell. I think all the arm movements and the costumes are absolutely amazing. It was very, very colourful."
Ms. Patzold, a retired ballerina and Mrs. Kennedy, a choir singer
With her was Mrs. Kennedy, a choir singer, who said she enjoyed looking at the beautiful, heavenly scenes. "It was spectacular, really! The setting and everything, it was beautiful. I didn't know what to expect, and it was an amazing production. Such beautiful costumes too. I also like the flowers and poppies in the scene as well."
Ms. Patzold agreed, adding, "The scenery, the background, they are absolute beautiful. I think it was an art itself."
The two ladies commented that they could see aspects of Chinese martial arts in the dance choreography, and that seeing this made them feel relaxed and tranquil. "Every little bit had a story to tell. A moral."
"I didn't see a flaw in it. Of course, they didn't make any mistakes. Everything was just so beautiful. It really was. I loved it. I had no idea of what I was going to be in for when I came, really I hadn't read much about it, but I thought that this will be a lovely night," said Mrs. Kennedy.
"It was so beautiful I was crying!"
Musician and retired office worker in the finance industry, Ms. Sherpenissa, had never before seen a show like Shen Yun. A little lost for words, she exclaimed, "It was absolutely fantastic ... just awesome. Absolutely fantastic!"
She added, "I think that the finesse of the girls was the most exquisite, the costumes ... I also think that it held a lot of meaning. There was a lot of meaning in it you know, about the tradition and so forth--the meaning of the word--it was absolutely fantastic. Actually at one time I was crying. It was so beautiful, it was more than I had expected."
Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14770/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14743/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14779/