DETROIT—“The costumes are beautiful. The show is very good. It’s very good,” said Ms. Carol Sassine, owner of the 29 Park nightclub as she enjoyed the performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company at the Detroit Opera House, Jan 24.
Shen Yun Performing Arts aims to revive China’s 5,000 year old divinely-inspired culture through the universal language of music and dance, according to its website.
Ms. Sassine’s family is originally from mainland China, so buying tickets to see Shen Yun was a natural Christmas gift for her mother.
“I saw it, and I thought it would be nice for her to come. We’re enjoying it,” said Ms. Sassine.
Shen Yun’s costumes come from countless designs of traditional attire. Every detail is given meticulous attention and are a result of artistic inspiration and polishing.
“I think the costumes are really nice. The costumes are beautiful, the dancers are—we knew they were all going to be great. But the costumes are very, very nice,” said Ms. Sassine.
The vignettes presented by Shen Yun which draw upon stories and legends spanning China’s history, reminded Ms. Sassine of beloved stories she had grown up with.
“Some of the stories that they’re telling now, my parents told me while we were growing up and when I was younger, so I can remember” them, Ms. Sassine said.
Other presentations of Shen Yun’s mini-dramas told through dance were new to her.
“It’s just nice to see, especially for me because I have a Chinese background, but I haven’t seen all of these things. It’s just nice to see, it’s nice to be reminded about it,” Ms. Sassine added.
Shen Yun dances recount ancient myths, bygone heroes, and celestial paradises. Each dance, whether set in the past or contemporary China, embodies traditional Chinese principles of virtue.
“It’s something my mom and maybe the older generation is more familiar with. And as a younger generation who have been over here for so long, we don’t realize how ... beautiful we are as a culture. It’s just nice to see, it’s nice to be reminded about it,” said Ms. Sassine.
The Sand Monk is Blessed, a dance about the Monkey King, was a particular reminder of her childhood.
“When I do see it, I actually can remember the things they told me when I was younger,” said Ms. Sassine, “It’s nice to see it live.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Cheryl Casati
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at the Detroit Opera House through to Jan. 27. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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