(Clearwisdom.net) A bevy of notable artists, musicians, and business people marvelled at Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s world-class show held at the Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City, New York, June 23-26, 2011.
On the evening of June 23, 2011, a VIP reception was held after the Shen Yun show
Donna Karan: Shen Yun is “like taking a journey to China”
Donna Karan, fashion designer and creator of the Donna Karan New York (DKNY) clothing line, stands for a photo during a VIP reception following a performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on June 23, in New York City.
Among the many distinguished guests in the audience was Donna Karan, chief designer of DKNY.
“What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it. It was taking me on a journey to the many aspects of China,” she said.
Ms. Karan, who both sponsored and attended the VIP reception following the show, noted a rare synergy among the performers. “When I saw the dance and the beauty of the synergy and the movement, there was not a singular person,” she said. “It moved in unison, which was so beautiful.”
“The voices were extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary, and so were the dances, but what I loved the most was that—even in the costumes—[they] were all in one,” she said.
“I love the Asian aspect of the grounding, and seeing that their energy was completely aligned, was beautiful,” Ms. Karan said.
CEO of Marchesa Fashion House: “It’s really so beautifully done”
UK Fashion company CEO Edward Chapman with friends at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City, June 23
Edward Chapman, CEO of Marchesa, a fashion house known for elegant, lavish evening dresses, found the Shen Yun performance entirely unique.
“I would say come and see it for yourselves, because you’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said, adding, “It's really so beautifully done, so energetic, and the choreography is spectacular!"
Kiera Chaplin calls Shen Yun “Perfect!”
Kiera Chaplin at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City, June 23
Actress and model, Kiera Chaplin—who is the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin— was also in attendance.
"I enjoyed the show a lot. I think it's very colorful and beautiful. This is the first time I've seen this," she exclaimed.
"I used to go to the ballet when I was younger. I love the theater shows. I've never seen anything like this before. The movements are very fluid, graceful, and great. Perfect," she said.
Supermodels Kathrin Werderitsch and Simone Kerr enthralled with Shen Yun
Supermodels Kathrin Werderitsch and Simone Kerr both found Shen Yun beautiful
Fashion models Kathrin Werderitsch and Simone Kerr said they thoroughly enjoyed the Shen Yun show.
“I thought it was beautiful. It was technically spectacular, colorful, vivacious, and energetic,” Ms. Werderitsch said. “I'd never seen any classical Chinese dance before, so it was very impressive.”
Ms. Kerr described the show as “really happy and joyful,” adding, “I liked all the group performances. I liked when there were a lot of people on stage and there was a lot of energy.”
“Overall it gave me a different feel of the Chinese culture. I’ve been to China a number of times and just the joy, zest, and vibrancy—like I said before—was just something I never experienced before. It was a real experience, I very much enjoyed it,” Ms. Kerr explained.
She also thought the male dancers “were so energetic ... so brave.”
“And I felt that energy. They didn’t even a break a sweat, they weren’t huffing at the end of it, and that’s the way they live their lives. I think we can all learn something from that, just make the most of everything and do it with energy and joy in our hearts, I guess!”
Ms. Werderitsch commented on Shen Yun's short vignette-style dances, saying, “I'd never really seen shows like this. It's usually a story from beginning to end, and to have it broken into small, short, sweet stories was really cool.”
Regarding the short stories woven throughout the show, Ms Kerr said, “The underlying stories that came through in dancing—and the storytelling that they conveyed—I just found that very moving and I’ll definitely come back another year and see it again.’
New York financier on Shen Yun: “See it more than once”
New York financier, Jeffrey Langberg, said that he had seen Shen Yun three times now.
“I think that if you really want to appreciate it, you need to see it more than once,” said Mr. Langberg.
He said that by seeing it again, he was able to “understand the dancing more, understand the meaning more, and have an appreciation for the individual key dancers and choreographers.”
“It’s really historic, it’s educational, and it’s beautiful. The waterfall scene was fabulous!” he explained.
“It’s not only the music that tells a story,” but the way the whole show comes together, he said.
“I also get a great kick out of the interaction between the [masters of ceremony] translators. I think they work very well together, and it seems like each time there is always something new, so you can never can bored,” Mr. Langberg said.
Of the several dances that depicted the Chinese regime’s brutal, 11-year-long persecution of Falun Gong—he said that the message was “very good.”
Art appraiser: “I love the artwork” in Shen Yun
Lee Drexler and her husband
Lee Drexler, art appraiser and director of Esquire Appraisals, found inspiration and ideas for a show she will be hosting in late July, while watching the Shen Yun show.
“I love the artwork here ... We’re going to be using some of the same techniques of a scene in the back,” Ms. Drexler said, referring to Shen Yun’s high tech digital backdrops.
Having taken in many shows during their travels, Ms. Drexler and her husband, James Cohen, appreciated the fact that Shen Yun is "culturally oriented."
"We’ve been to 80 countries so we’re interested in different cultures, so we’ve traveled a lot," Ms. Drexler said.
Mr. Cohen is an attorney and songwriter, and believes in human rights and freedom.
“A lot of my personal philosophy has to do with freedom, with responsibility," he said. "I think it’s interesting to find the struggle continues now."
Mr. Cohen was referring to the dance Our Story, a dance piece based on the true story of a teacher who practices Falun Gong. She teaches her students to live by the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance, but is persecuted for her faith by the Chinese Communist regime.
Lawyer: “I think it was perfection!”
Averell Fisk and Nelson Happy at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, in New York City, June 23
Averell Fisk, an investment banker, attended the show with his wife, Kirsten Fisk, an interior designer.
“I think the energy is wonderful,” Mr. Fisk said, praising the dancers and the music. “I thought the costumes were wonderful. The dancers were extremely talented. We loved the drummers and the music.”
Ms. Fisk said that she was taken by the visual aspect of the show, and the stories.
“I think it is a spectacle. It is absolutely magnificent visually. It is my first time, so I am getting educated about Falun Gong ... The beauty of it. It is very spiritual. It is very moving, and I am enjoying it so much.”
J. Nelson Happy, a New York lawyer, said he agreed with Mr. Fisk, “and the blending of the traditional Chinese instruments and Western instruments makes a very different sound and works very, very, well together.”
Mr. Happy said that this was his second time seeing Shen Yun.
“I think it was perfection! The thing that I like best was the Plum Blossom dance set. I think I can watch that hour after hour. I think it is one of the finest dances that I have ever seen,” he said.
“All of the performances are perfect,” he said, adding that there was nothing he didn’t want to “just rave about.”
Describing the singing, he enthused, “Amazing. I think the soprano is one of the best I’ve ever heard. I found it absolutely perfect.”
When Mr. Happy was asked to give his overall take on the show, he explained: “First, the precision was remarkable; second, the colors were beautiful and dramatic and remarkable; third, the stories and the way that dance brings a story to life, were interesting and remarkable.
“So it dramatically presents interesting stories and ideas in a dance format, which I think is quite unusual. It's remarkable.”
“I think that the message is a subtle message. I think that as you see the performance more than once then the message becomes clear.” He was referring to the performances that depict the triumph of righteousness over oppression, by brave people in China. “It's dramatic and interesting,” he said.
He continued. “The music too, is a combination of Western-style music with traditional Chinese music, and I think that is a good way to introduce Western people to Chinese instruments and Chinese music.”
He said Shen Yun reminded him of this, and that in bringing the East to the West it was particularly sophisticated in its approach.
Swiss watch company president finds deep meaning in Shen Yun
Roberto Cristobal and son
Swiss watch company president, Roberto Cristobal, attended the show with his son.
“It was interesting. It was very different from anything else I’ve seen before,” he said. “It shows a kind of dance. It’s very different from the dancing I’ve seen before, in any other classical or modern dance,” explained Mr. Cristobal.
He also described the performances in Shen Yun as “very energetic with a lot of color.”
Mr. Cristobal found the dance set, Udumbara's Bloom, to be particularly moving. In the Buddhist tradition, there is a flower called the Udumbara that blooms once every three thousand years. The dance depicts its rare bloom.
“I was really touched by that. I feel that the message is a little bit more than the superficial dancing that you would see,” he said. “The intrinsic message behind that is very interesting. And I like that kind of relationship.”
He said "you have to really think about" some of the messages contained within the Shen Yun performance.
"[The performances] are a little bit more profound than regular kinds of events," he added.
Well-known Chinese dissident: “Watching Shen Yun makes me see the hope and feel the power of the divine”
Gang Liu, a well-known Chinese dissident and leader of the 1989 student democratic movement, and Dong Lu, spokesman for the Chinese Christian Democratic Party
Gang Liu, a well-known Chinese dissident and leader of the 1989 student democratic movement, said that he was moved to tears after watching this Shen Yun show on June 23.
“I am now facing the most difficult time in my life,” said Mr. Liu.
“I came to the show for spiritual support; to seek the support and power of the divine. And I have found it here today. I was moved to tears when I saw the dance set depicting the police in China beating Falun Gong practitioners who are simply following Truth-Compassion-Forbearance. When I saw the programs, such as Drummers of the Tang Dynasty, my whole body was filled with power.”
Mr. Liu graduated from The University of Science and Technology of China. In 1984, he was admitted to the Department of Physics at Beijing University. He was listed as the third most wanted person out of 21 people, after the June 4 incident of 1989.
In 1991, he received a 6-year prison term and was severely tortured. After his release in 1995, he made his way to the United States, by way of Hong Kong. He later graduated with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science at Columbia University and worked at Citibank.
Mr. Liu said that he had watched Shen Yun before.
“I felt the grace and truth, and felt connected to it. It really touched me. This is the best, traditional Chinese cultural show anywhere. I hope more Chinese people can watch the show and have a bright future. Shen Yun is also the sole hope of the Chinese people.”
