YOKOSUKA, Japan—Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company performed their first show at the Yokosuka Arts Theatre in Yokosuka, Japan, on April 28. Safarova Gulnara, a classical pianist from Azerbaijan, and her husband, Daisuke Azuma, a civil service officer, were very excited after watching the show, saying that they were extremely fortunate, and that they had learned a lot about Chinese culture.
Safarova Gulnara is a professional musician from Azerbaijan, specializing in classical piano. She said, “The performance was very large-scale and their costumes were exquisite. It was an amazing performance.”
“Though both are Asian and rooted in divine belief, classical Chinese music is both similar and different from the music of my homeland. This is my first time hearing Chinese music live,” she said.
“Although Japanese music is also East Asian and has similar melodies as Chinese culture, the timbre, rhythm, pulse, and brightness are all different,” said Ms. Gulnara. “Classical Chinese music has a transcendent brightness that touches the heart and makes one feel very joyful.”
“I really enjoy the sound of the erhu. When the different Chinese instruments were introduced in the show, I was very touched by its unique tone. I was also able to experience the sound of many other Chinese instruments such as the pipa, and I like them all.”
“The combination of Chinese and Western instruments was impeccable,” said Ms. Gulnara. “Shen Yun is phenomenally inspiring. I believe that everyone who watched the performance today feels the same way.”
‘A rich spiritual awakening’
“The performance was outstanding,” said Mr. Azuma, Ms. Gulnara’s husband. “I could never have imagined anything like this. The cultural elements in the performances held such a deep inner essence.”
“Every story was fascinating; the stories and culture in the performance made me really realize the connection between Chinese and Japanese culture,” he said. “When I watched The Emperor Journeys to the Moon, I thought back to Japanese tales of people living in the moon. It is likely they came from China. Seeing these stories presented onstage made me feel very close.”
He emphasized, “It is not just a beautiful performance, but a rich spiritual awakening. It made me think about divine beings and spiritual beliefs. Because Japanese culture encompasses these things as well, I was able to understand the concepts of divine compassion presented in the show.”
Mr. Azuma said that the last dance, Divine Mercy, communicated a strong message. “Divine beings are merciful; they are protecting human beings.”
“The song lyrics were amazing and held a deep inner essence,” he added.
Read the original Chinese article.
Reporting by Niu Bin and Virginia Wu
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
