NEW YORK—Peter Kyle, a choreographer, dancer, and dance instructor who owns his own dance company, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second performance at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Thursday, praising its “very, very high” production levels.
Mr. Kyle said Shen Yun’s choreography is “very dynamic” and the “physical abilities of the dancers [posses] very extreme technical ability.”
“Coupled with that, is a really lovely sense of energy [and] the dynamic between [the dancers]” he said, adding that watching Shen Yun was his first exposure to classical Chinese dance.
Shen Yun’s main focal point is classical Chinese dance, which is considered one of the most comprehensive in the world, taking thousands of years to perfect the forms, according to the company. The dance is considered to have rich expressive power, as it is built upon China’s traditional aesthetics.
“They seem to have an incredible ability with their bodies. Their strength and flexibility are very impressive,” My. Kyle said. “It seems very palpable the way that they have a sense of working together. It is very lovely and it comes across. I enjoyed it very much.”
Shen Yun’s “production level was very high,” Mr. Kyle added. “It looked beautiful in this theater.”
Other than dance, Shen Yun features an interactive and digital backdrop, an orchestra that joins together Western classical music with Chinese instruments, and props to aid the stories. The civilization of China stretches back 5,000 years, which Shen Yun taps into to tell its stories.
“I think the music was wonderful and ... the costumes were also very exquisite,” he said. According to Shen Yun’s website, costumes are an integral part of the performance, which are inspired by ancient designs, including from the Tang and Han dynasties.
Shen Yun inspired Mr. Kyle to delve into traditional Chinese culture.
“I never really knew about story of the Monkey King. So now I want to go home and read that. And the combination of the various different religious influences also, over the centuries and millennia, I didn’t know very much about that,” he said.
The Monkey King is a favorite tale in Chinese history. The performance, How the Monkey King Came to Be, tells the story of how the Monkey King gets himself into trouble with fairies, a Taoist, and the Buddha. Finally, after pleading forgiveness from the Goddess of Mercy, the Monkey King is appointed to guard a monk who is journeying westward for Buddhist scriptures.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was formed by overseas Chinese artists in 2006 and will tour more than 100 cities around the world in 2012.
Reporting by Jack Phillips.
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at New York’s Lincoln Center through Jan. 15.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
