SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Osaka’s Artists of Various Fields Were All Highly Impressed After Seeing Shen Yun

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Osaka’s Artists of Various Fields Were All Highly Impressed After Seeing Shen Yun
Kisana Marika at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 17, 2024. Fujino Wei/The Epoch Times

OSAKA, Japan—There is no ceiling in the pursuit to be better in art. For Shen Yun Performing Arts, giving the audience the best it can is something the company strives for in every performance.

“What is most unforgettable is the coordination among all the dancers and their outstanding dance skills. I’m curious of how many rehearsals they’ve had,” remarked Marika Kisana, the owner of a performance company and a former member of the Osaka Shochiku Kagekidan (OSK) Japanese Opera Troupe.

Shen Yun rehearses every detail until the dancers are able to achieve great unity in their movements.

“As a dancer, I believe achieving such a high level of coordination is rarely seen,” said Ms. Kisana.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most expressive dance forms in the world.

“Those emotionally charged group dances were especially fantastic—they were incredibly expressive. The dancers’ body language is unforgettable,” said Ms. Kisana.

Classical Chinese dance requires women to be graceful and light on their feet, while the men should be strong and gallant.

“The male dancers’ leaping and aerial movements deeply impressed me ... The female long-sleeve dance also touched my heart,” shared Ms. Kisana.

Each dance is paired with its own unique animated backdrop. Whether the story includes a warrior falling off a cliff or the Monkey King visiting a deity in the sea, the backdrop can make it all happen.

“The backdrop and the foreground cleverly blend together, extending the stage, providing the audience with double the enjoyment,” she noted.

Shen Yun has eight companies touring the world simultaneously, and each company includes an orchestra. The orchestra’s conductor follows every step of the dancers on stage, allowing the music to cater to every movement.

“It’s powerful. [The music] blends perfectly with the dance, making the entire performance mysterious and charming,” said Ms. Kisana.

Hikaru Manase and Aika Mimori at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 17, 2024. (Xiao Lei/The Epoch Times)
Hikaru Manase and Aika Mimori at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 17, 2024. Xiao Lei/The Epoch Times

Hikaru Manase and Aika Mimori were also former members of the OSK Opera Troupe.

They were particularly impressed with the jumping and tumbling, which is a key component of classical Chinese dance.

“I cannot perform movements like backflips or somersaults myself, but for Shen Yun dancers, these seem to be basic,” said Ms. Manase.

Shen Yun’s singers are trained in the bel canto technique. The Shen Yun website tells us that “Shen Yun’s singers are uniquely trained to utilize this most traditional and classical technique.”

Ms. Manase noticed that “the text touched upon faith and the divinity.”

“The texts were very good, powerful, and profound,” added Ms. Mimori.

Chinese culture had been intertwined with a profound belief in the divine. Ms. Manase noticed the use of the digital backdrop to portray the power of the divine.

“The performance presents this to the audience through the background. It showcased the connection between humans and gods in a clear and visible way, which was very impressive,” she commented.

It was Ms. Mimori’s second time seeing Shen Yun. Every year, Shen Yun puts on an all-new production so returning audiences always have something fresh to look forward to.

“Wow, this year’s program was completely different from last year,” she said.

‘Shen Yun’s Form and Content Will Become a New Trend in Performing Arts’

Yumemi Asaki at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 17, 2024. (Xiao Lei/The Epoch Times)
Yumemi Asaki at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 17, 2024. Xiao Lei/The Epoch Times

On Jan. 16, Yumemi Asaki, a former Takarazuka Revue actress and current musical actress, was in the audience at the Orix Theater.

“Shen Yun dancers were exuding an artistic aura from head to toe. I believe that the form and content of Shen Yun will become a new trend in performing arts,” said Ms. Asaki.

As someone who is also in the industry of stage performances, Ms. Asaki shared: “I feel that there is much to learn and reference from Shen Yun, and it is worth recommending to peers.”

With China’s 5,000 years of history, Shen Yun has a great source to draw inspiration from. Whether it’s the court dancers from various dynasties or the different ethnic groups throughout China, it all comes to life when Shen Yun puts it on stage.

“The moment the long sleeves were thrown out in the water sleeves dance was truly beautiful. I also loved the gorgeous costumes and colors. The dance depicting yellow blossoms was also breathtaking. The Mongolian dance for men was very handsome,” praised Ms. Asaki.

Out of all the instruments in Shen Yun’s orchestra, the erhu, shone under the spotlight. The erhu only has two strings, but it is able to make unforgettable music.
“The erhu solo was excellent. The sound of the erhu was very soothing, and I felt very relaxed,” said Ms. Asaki.

Ballet Teacher Praises Shen Yun’s Dancers

Hiromi Ito at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 16, 2024. (Zihui Ren/The Epoch Times)
Hiromi Ito at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Orix Theater on Jan. 16, 2024. Zihui Ren/The Epoch Times
Ballet and classical Chinese dance are both systems of dance that have extensive history.

Hiromi Ito is a ballet teacher and the representative of the Hiro Kondo Ballet Company. She thought that Shen Yun’s dancers were spectacular.

“There were plenty of lively spinning movements, graceful rotations, as well as light and gentle spins that were delightful and captivating. The astonishing techniques of the dancers and the beauty made one’s heart pound,” said Ms. Ito.

Classical Chinese dance can tell a story without the use of words, and Shen Yun’s dancers are often challenged to depict various historic figures.

“Without a single line of dialogue, they convey rich information. Through extensive body movements, gestures, and the visual effects of the background, the stories presented were full of artistic charm,” praised Ms. Ito.

With the aid of props, costumes, and the digital backdrop, history is brought back to life.

“The plot transitions with the digital backdrop were handled extremely cleverly, leaving people wanting to see more,” she said.

Reporting by Fujino Wei, Xiao Lei, Zihui Ren, and Maria Han.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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