SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s Messages Are Compelling and Important, Says San Diego Theatergoer

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Shen Yun’s Messages Are Compelling and Important, Says San Diego Theatergoer
Jennifer Marcks (R) and Randuz Romay enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the San Diego Civic Theater on Jan. 20, 2024. Linda Jiang /The Epoch Times

SAN DIEGO—Jennifer Marcks, the founder of a healthcare company, attended Shen Yun’s penultimate performance at the San Diego Civic Theater on Jan. 20.

Ms. Marcks has been watching Shen Yun’s advertisements and hoping to see a show for quite some time. She happened to be in town this weekend, so she finally fulfilled her wish.

“It was fabulous. I really enjoyed it,” she expressed. “I think just knowing the history of it and the culture—being able to participate in that and see all the dramatic colors and dances—it’s really beautiful.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.

According to the Shen Yun website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

Ms. Marcks was enthralled by the dancers’ impeccable technique and thought their many flips and spins were amazing. She also loved how the music from Shen Yun’s live orchestra blended with the dancers’ movements seamlessly.

Accompanying her for the evening was photographer Randuz Romay.

As an artist, he was very impressed by Shen Yun’s innovative 3D projections and lighting.

“That was one of the first things I noticed, how the lighting was really focusing on the dancers and how the backdrop really allowed the dancers to showcase and come [forward.] They’re so great,” he said.

“It was actually very thoughtful, some of the backdrops. In the finale, when the Buddha came out—that was awesome.”

Shen Yun’s patented 3D digital technology works together with the performers to “extend the stage to infinite realms” and brings to its audience “storytelling without limits.”

Mr. Randuz also loved the solo performance by the erhu—an ancient, two-stringed Chinese instrument capable of conveying a wide range of emotions.

“For the very first time, I was able to watch and see with my own eyes the actual instrument that made that sound. The two-stringed erhu was amazing,” he exclaimed.

Reflecting on the divine element of the show, Mr. Randuz said some of Shen Yun’s “messages were really compelling.”

“We know China as being a very rigid culture. Yet, [now you have] a production company and storytellers telling you how it was before communism. And that’s really important,” he expressed.

“People need to understand that—before what they see in [present-day China]—there was a whole other world there. The culture was rich and very expressive and beautiful.”

Reporting by Linda Jiang and Jennifer Tseng.
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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