NEW YORK—Pulling their inspiration from China’s 5,000 years of culture, the Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company won standing ovations and three curtain calls from a sold out performance at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater, on Jan. 12.
“It was something new to me. Something very nice and amazing,” said Katerina Gruzdyeva, president of Slavia Ceramics, and a pianist.
Based in New York, Shen Yun is a show of dance and vocal music, with classic tales performed through the unique art of classical Chinese dance, as well as its vast ethnic and folk dances. It was established in 2006 to revive China’s traditional culture, and brings together award-winning dancers and singers, as well as musicians from world-renowned symphonies.
As someone who regularly works with colors and designs, Ms. Gruzdyeva said she was inspired by the colors used in the sets and costumes. “I saw a lot of ideas for the future designs of myself,” she said.
The costumes have a broad palette, with dances and stories stretching across China’s vast history and various ethnicities—among them the Qing Court, the mountains of Tibet, and the Huai Valley.
“It was a great learning experience with me,” Ms. Gruzdyev said.
She added that beyond the colors, she was moved by the harmony of the performance. “It’s like they’re flying on the stage,” she said.
“Technique is very important—you train and you become [perfect] in your technique, very perfect,” she said. “But also there is harmony in how they move. It’s so light.”
“A lot of people are involved, but it’s like one picture,” she said, adding that the harmony of the performance became one “whole picture you see; the one picture.”
Ms. Gruzdyeva comes from a family of musicians, and her father joined her at the performance. Stanislav Gruzdyev is a pianist and conductor, and graduated from Gnessin State Musical College, an elite Russian music school.
Mr. Gruzdyev said he was impressed by the singers. “The strength of the voice is great. Their voices are very bright and very professional,” he said in Russian, which his daughter translated.
The vocal soloists in Shen Yun Performing Arts sing bel canto with Chinese lyrics. The company’s website notes that “the singer must grasp the highly difficult technical requirements of bel canto operatic singing while retaining the proper Chinese articulation and diction—today, this is unparalleled.”
The orchestra is equally unique. It combines both classical Western and Chinese instruments—a task accomplished by having the Western philharmonic orchestra play the foundation, while the Chinese instruments lead the melodies, according to the company’s website.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Mr. Gruzdyev said, noting that “the range allows for very unique music.”
“The orchestra is great since they use classical Western instruments, and traditional Chinese instruments,” he said. “It’s so unique and it gives the opportunity to play this music. There are a lot of unique sounds I hear.”
He also commented that the “quality of the members of the orchestra,” and its large size, gave it a broad and deep sound.”
But Mr. Gruzdyev added that he enjoyed the whole performance. “They show all the traditions—the mild dances, the nature, the traditional dances,” he said. “And again, the beautiful costumes, the colors, it’s amazing.”
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.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
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