PHOENIX—The opening performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the ASU Gammage in Phoenix on Friday, Jan. 27, drew a sold out audience who were treated to an evening of classical Chinese dance and music.
Among the audience were Mr. Bijan Ansari, president and CEO of Bijan Capital Management, and his wife, Fraiba.
Mentioning the choreography in the dances, the music played by the Shen Yun Orchestra, the colors, and other elements in Shen Yun, Mr. Ansari said the performance is one that “you will not forget.”
“It is really interesting,” said Mr. Ansari, who has been in the investment field for over 25 years.
Having an interest in Chinese culture, he said it was interesting for him to see Shen Yun’s portrayal of 5,000 years of history and culture on stage, and to see the changes China has gone through along these years.
New York-based Shen Yun takes the audience to different regions and time periods in China, bringing to life ancient legends and scenes in a collection of short pieces performed in classical Chinese or folk and ethnic dances.
“We really enjoyed it,” Mr. Ansari said.
Ms. Ansari, a physical therapist, agreed with her husband.
“It is great for us because China is so unknown. For me, for instance, I am learning a lot by just watching the dancers,” she said.
According to the Shen Yun website, classical Chinese dance has a long history dating back thousands of years. The ancient art form has been passed down within the imperial palace and the Chinese theater and opera.
“Soaking up profound wisdom from every era and dynasty, it [classical Chinese dance] has become a complete system of dance embodying traditional aesthetic principles with its unique dance movements, rhythms, and inner meaning,” according to the Shen Yun website.
Ms. Ansari said she found the choreography in the dances to be “very beautiful,” and found the difficult jumping and tumbling techniques interesting. She was equally impressed with other aspects of the performance.
“The fact that they do the scenery in the background, mixing it with the stage, I really liked that,” she said, referring to Shen Yun’s state-of-the-art animated backdrops.
“It was well done,” Ms. Ansari said.
Reporting by Flora Ge.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company is in Phoenix at ASU Gammage through Jan. 29.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
