HAMILTON, Canada—James Nesbitt trained at the finest ballet schools, danced with the finest ballet companies, and headed a dance department that later gave out an award in his name.
He knows a thing or three about dancing, and he shared his perspective on Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“It’s timeless. The production was beautifully done,” he said.
Mr. Nesbitt came to the show Sunday night at Hamilton Place and left with high praise for Shen Yun’s dancers and musicians.
“Wonderful show. Spectacularly done. Well choreographed. Costumes are beautifully done and the interaction with the modern set that takes the story beyond that, really quite enchanting.”
That modern set is Shen Yun’s state-of-the-art digital projections—animated backdrops that set vivid scenes for each dance.
Mr. Nesbitt said they were “very, very well done.”
Mr. Nesbitt is a graduate of the Harkness House for Ballet Arts and Juilliard, danced with the New York City Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and came to the Niagara region to be head of dance for Ridley College. Ridley awarded students the James Nesbitt Dance Trophy in Mr. Nesbitt’s honour.
With that background, he offered some insight into what it would have taken to prepare the show he was watching that night.
“The rehearsal must have been massive,” he said.
“It’s such a large company doing a unit as one that develops and rolls and builds, and then crescendos into such a wonderful point with the orchestra, which is well done, again.”
“It was wonderful. Thank you very much.”
He also enjoyed Shen Yun’s unique philharmonic orchestra, which includes Chinese instruments leading the melodies.
“Very well done,” he said of the orchestra.
“It’s moving with the production, it’s moving the production along.”
“You’re just amazed that it is down there doing that,” referring to the orchestra’s somewhat hidden home in the orchestra pit below eye level in front of the stage.
Reporting by NTD Television and Matthew Little
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun’s New York Company performed three shows in Hamilton Jan. 12-13 and is now heading to Toronto for five shows Jan. 17-20, completing its tour of eastern Canada. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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