BURLINGTON, Vt.—Mark Montross was instantly captivated by the voice of the soprano when he experienced Shen Yun Performing Arts on April 29. He said the soprano’s passion came through her voice in the way she carries herself while performing.
“I’ve got to say that she’s probably one of the best I’ve actually ever heard,” Montross said.
“She was absolutely amazing. Her voice is like the sounds of heaven. She really does a beautiful job,” Montross said.
Montross saw Shen Yun with his partner Amy Gerrity-Parent and her daughter for the second time at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, Vermont, on April 29. Montross is the president of Catamount Realty Group, while Gerrity-Parent is a realtor in the same company.
New York-based Shen Yun tours the world with the mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and bring it alive on stage in the form of dance and music.
In about 20 vignettes of classical Chinese dance pieces, folk and ethnic dance pieces, story-based piece, and solo musicians, Shen Yun takes audience members on a journey through 5,000 years of civilization and history.
Like Montross, his partner Gerrity-Parent was also amazed by the soprano.
“For [the] soprano—she is unbelievable,” Gerrity-Parent said.
Important Mission
Montross said he came back this second time because he was amazed by the performers’ artistry the first time he experienced Shen Yun.“It’s a wonderful performance. We have actually been to this before and it’s just amazing how all the different performances in the acrobats and all the training that must go into this,” he said. “It’s just absolutely amazing.”
He added that he thought Shen Yun’s mission is important as it gives people an avenue through which to embrace a culture and history.
“I think it’s always important to embrace the cultures and embrace the history behind things, so I think that everybody can take something from it,” he said.
“In my opinion, this day is like the central hub for that. So it is just a great way of coming out and being able to enjoy it,” he added.
Gerrity-Parent shared similar views, adding that the performance is something that “should be spread and should be shared.”