(Clearwisdom.net) As Shen Yun Performing Arts graced the stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium for the final performance of its 2009 Spring Tour in Pasadena on Sunday May 10, audience members were captivated.

Among the enthusiastic crowd was Mr. Carruthers, the co-director of a music program and a big band pianist. He said the show was "Marvelous! The costuming, the dance numbers, the choreography, the music, the orchestra--I love all the instrumentation and I love all the singers. It's absolutely spectacular."

Mr. Carruthers, the co-director of a music program and a big band pianist

Mrs. Carruthers, a native Chinese, praised the show as "very uplifting" and said that she "appreciated it very much."

As a professional musician, Mr. Carruthers appreciatively noted, "I can't find any flaws in any of the performances--they are absolutely perfect. The quality of the music and the quality of the whole show is fantastic. I am very excited!"

It Touches the Spirit

Many families chose to celebrate Mother's Day by seeing Shen Yun. Among those in the full house show was Lisette Lee, an actress and dancer.

Ms. Lee and her friend, Mr. Raya

She said, "I think one sentence sums it up: It is candies from heaven. It is absolutely remarkable. The spectacle is like going into a candy store. It's delicious. It's wonderful. It transports you to a completely different dimension, so it's absolutely a gift and an honor to be sitting in the audience watching these remarkable performers. Absolutely remarkable. They are so talented, so it's an honor to receive what it is they are giving out, especially on Mother's Day!"

The show surpassed Ms. Lee's expectations, "I think it surpasses [what I expected]. I knew it would be absolutely fantastic because I saw a short promo on it, and I knew immediately that this would be a show that would be terrible to miss."

Ms. Lee has trained in South Indian classical dance. She said, "I really appreciate the stories of the divine, so I understand all of it.

"Sitting in the audience I understood the transportation from the human life to the spiritual life--the divine life, which is ultimately the progression of the journey that we're all on. So, to sit here and receive this, it brings you to a higher state of being when you're sitting in the audience and visually seeing this. People don't really have to understand through words, but they understand through the images. It touches the spirit."

Beautiful and Satisfying

Actor and artist Mr. Diaz chose Mother's Day and the final performance at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium to see Shen Yun Performing Arts. Mr. Diaz is a well-known actor who has performed in films, television, and theater, both in the U.S. and his native country, Cuba.

Mr. Diaz is a well-known actor

During intermission, Mr. Diaz said, "I think it's very well presented. I like the choreography and wardrobe. It's very professional. I'm really enjoying it. Visually it's beautiful. The music is beautiful, and the dancing is very well-presented. I'm very satisfied with it."

Mr. Diaz commented on the piece "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution," saying, "I saw one scene in the first act that was about repression for practicing religion. I'm from Cuba, and we have experienced the same situation in my country, too. I hope I see more of that in the second act, because I think it's important for people from other nationalities to see what the Chinese people are going through, with the government and communism in general since 1949.

"I think everybody has the right to practice his or her religion. I'm a religious person myself. As a Catholic, I like the freedom I have to practice it. I admire the Chinese people for doing it. They still have the courage to go against all odds, the government, and the repression in general."

The Performances Are Like Poetry

Dan, a professional magician, author, and co-producer of DVDs, said he recently visited China, which he thought was quite "different" by comparison to Shen Yun, "It's different. I recently spent two weeks in China, and it's nothing like this anymore ... so it's cool to see the history and the culture, what it used to be like.

"It's a shame that it's not as beautiful as it used to be."

He reflected upon the difficulty of Shen Yun moving from venue to venue, country to country, referring particularly to the enormous screen used to picture digital backdrop scenes. "Yes, it's on a tour, so it's hard to transport. I like the use of the large screen in the background. Very beautiful colors that go well with the costumes," he commented.

Dan said he would encourage others to see the show and would describe it as "almost like peaceful, visual art--like poetry ..."

Dan's friend accompanied him to the show. "I love it, I love it. This is the first time I've been here," she said. She was touched by the "flower piece, with the fans ["Welcoming Spring"] and the drums. I thought it was amazing how synchronized everything was."

She said she would "absolutely" recommend the show to friends. "I would describe it as very moving. It tells a story and is also very beautiful. It's apparent that everybody in the show is passionate about their culture!"

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/16620/
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