COSTA MESA, Calif.—Michael and Christina Hughes, who both work in law, enjoyed learning about traditional Chinese culture as Shen Yun Performing Arts performed in Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Jan. 19.
“It was an absolute kaleidoscope of color combined with exquisite dancing, unique dancing for someone from the West and not familiar with Chinese culture,” said Mr. Hughes.
Shen Yun aims to revive Chinese culture and its values through the universal language of dance and music.
“We really enjoyed the show,” Mrs. Hughes said. “The choreography was beautiful, the scenery was beautiful.”
Referring to the backdrop, which is full of motion and depicts a variety of scenery from ancient to modern China, Mrs. Hughes said it was amazing and very creative.
Mrs. Hughes, who works as an analyst for a law firm, found that the Shen Yun performer’s use of Chinese classical dance, an intricate and complete form passed down for thousands of years, was a delightful aspect of the show and “was all very new” to her. She added, “The costumes were absolutely beautiful, and the creativity was wonderful.”
Mr. Hughes, an attorney who works in juvenile law, said he “learned how absolutely intricate the dances are, and how the tumbling and leaping and jumping were all integral with the original Chinese dancing.”
According to Shen Yun’s website, classical Chinese dance has contributed to the preservation of 5,000 years of Chinese culture, a culture that has mostly been destroyed under 60 years of Communist Party rule. Over thousands of years, the dance has been honed and systematized, with its own set of training, physical expression, and specific postures.
In combination with the backdrop, the dance “captured the movement and expression of the time, and kept the audience at the edge of their seats,” Mr. Hughes said.
With reporting by NTD and Jack Phillips.
Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform in Thousand Oaks at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Jan. 22 and 23, and downtown Los Angeles at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Jan. 25 through 27. Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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