(Clearwisdom.net)

Shen Yun Performing Arts curtain call at Wang Theatre on Friday evening, Feb. 11.

February 11 through 13, Shen Yun Performing Arts presented four shows at Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. While Shen Yun has appeared in Boston as part of its world tour for five years, these are the first performances at Wang Theatre. Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Each year Shen Yun presents an entirely new production, complete with original orchestral arrangements that combine the sounds of traditional Western and Eastern instruments.

Harvard Professor loves the spiritual quality of Shen Yun

Jane and Rebecca Borjas, wife and daughter of Harvard professor George Borjas, enjoy the opening night in Boston

Professor George Borjas, his wife, and daughter attended opening night in Boston on Friday, Feb 11. Dr. Borjas is the Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy at Harvard and has an international reputation as a leading scholar on immigration, labor, and economics.

“I loved it,” Dr. Borjas said. “My main surprise was the spirituality of it. The stories that were being told [through dance] were good versus evil, with good being rewarded at the end.”

Dr. Borjas said he loved the beautiful, elaborate costumes and found the music wonderful.

His wife, Jane Borjas, a science teacher, found it interesting to learn about traditional Chinese culture. She had heard about China’s Terracotta Army and the Chinese story of the Monkey King (from the epic novel Journey to the West) and was happy to see these depicted in dances.

“The Terracotta Army is a monumental series of statues made and buried over 2,000 years ago during the Qin dynasty,” according to the program book. In the dance Recalling the Great Qin, an artist visiting the excavation site of the statues suddenly finds himself back in time as a Qin warrior.

Their daughter Rebecca, a high school student, was surprised by the intricacy of classical Chinese dance and the athleticism of the dancers.

Scientist and professor attends with children, all learn from seeing Shen Yun

Anna Mandinova, a scientist and professor at Harvard Medical School, her daughter Joanna and Joanna's friend Clair, enjoy Shen Yun

Anna Mandinova, a scientist and professor at Harvard Medical School, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company's performance at Wang Theatre on Feb. 11, with her daughter, Joanna, and Joanna’s friend, Clair.

Ms. Mandinova said that bringing together the history of China and contrasting some of the contemporary issues concerning China today was one aspect of the show that she enjoyed.

Ethnic and folk dance is performed together with classical Chinese dance in its purest and most beautiful form. Shen Yun also presents story-based dances depicting legends from ancient China all the way through to modern times.

Joanna said that she would tell her friends that Shen Yun is “a great show with dance and culture with a lot of history learning.” Animated backdrops transport the audience to another world. Projected behind the dancers, the hi-tech images lift the stage and takes viewers back through ancient China allowing them to be part of scenes of traditional daily life from the country's 5,000-year history.

Clair said that she would tell her friends that the show is “very inspiring and exciting” and she, “learned a lot about classic dancing.”

“It’s a great performance, it’s amazing,” Ms. Mandinova said.

After seeing several shows, a lawyer seeks to learn more about Falun Gong and "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance."

Melissa White-Pasquale, a lawyer, attended the Feb. 13 performance in Boston with her mother, Beverly White and daughters. Ms. White-Pasquale said Shen Yun was the "best show."

"I think I’m beginning to understand better the issue with the Falun Gong," Ms. White-Pasquale said. "I didn’t quite understand how that factored in initially when I came for the first show, but now—and they [her daughters] were asking me questions about it too, like they didn’t quite understand, so I was explaining to them. So after I saw the show, it made me go read some things about Falun Gong and try to understand a little bit better. So it was good; it was interesting."

Before she left, she and her children agreed that the dance called Manchurian Elegance was "gorgeous." Her daughter, a young girl, said the piece called Our Story stood out to her. Its a dance about a loving teacher who encourages her students to behave in accordance with "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance."

Shen Yun combines Eastern and Western arts says real estate CEO

Founder and Chairman of the Boston Asian Landlord Association, Mr. Pan brought his wife and three children to the February 12 performance

“It's a beautiful, beautiful show,” Jason Pan exclaimed as he emerged from seeing the Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company's performance on Feb. 11.

Founder and Chairman of the Boston Asian Landlord Association, Mr. Pan brought his wife and three children to the show, to celebrate traditional Chinese culture.

“I really enjoyed it. The choreography and the music, it's excellent,” he said.

Mr. Pan was nostalgic upon hearing the erhu performance. A classical Chinese instrument, the erhu is known for its beautiful, melancholy sound produced by only two strings.

“I think some of the erhu [pieces] are better than violin! Maybe because I grew up with the sound, I really enjoyed that,” he said.

The Shen Yun Orchestra, unique in the world, combines traditional instruments from the East and West, producing one unforgettable sound. Mr. Pan thought the orchestra concept was a perfect balance between cultures and delightful to the ear.

“This is what combines Eastern and Western arts and puts it all together. I really enjoyed it,” he said.

A broker CEO at Midtown Properties and active member of the Landlord Association, Mr. Pan was glad he could take some time to experience classical Chinese art forms with his family. He appreciated all the hard work of the artists to present Shen Yun.

“[They] put a lot of effort in as well. I know that. I appreciate the opportunity to come,” he said.

Shen Yun a popular Christmas gift

John Taylor and Susan Forward at the Shen Yun Boston performance February 11.

John Taylor and Susan Forward were in the audience for the first of four shows at the historic Wang Theatre in Boston

“The colors, the costumes, the scenery, the set design—it’s beautiful,” said Ms. Forward during intermission.

Mr. Taylor runs a nonprofit organization, and Ms. Forward is a government worker. They had independently given each other tickets to the show as a Christmas gift.

“We actually saw an advertisement, and we both independently liked what we saw. For Christmas, we actually gave each other, not realizing it, tickets to this show. And when we opened it, we had both [already] purchased tickets,” Mr. Taylor explained. So the two will be coming back on Sunday to see the show again.

“It’s just beautiful,” said Mr. Taylor. “The dance is just so elegant. … I can’t describe it. It’s just pleasant to watch. It’s just awesome.”