WORCESTER, Mass.—Shen Yun Performing Arts delighted the audience when it came to Worcester, Mass., for a one-off performance of classical Chinese dance and music, on Friday, Dec.30.
The New York based company is one of three that are touring the world with a unique cultural display spanning 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
Renee Fossey and her husband David Fossey, were very happy that they had come to the Hanover Theatre to see Shen Yun and learn more about Chinese culture.
“It [the show] had for me a real flavor of China,” said Mrs. Fossey who is a church musician.
“The musicians were wonderful. The pianist was very accomplished. The singers were beautiful,” she said, pointing out how well everything was synchronized.
The Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra is unique in that it blends the music of a Western Philharmonic orchestra with melodies played on traditional Eastern instruments.
The singers use a bel canto style, a highly difficult technique in operatic singing, while retaining the proper Chinese articulation and diction. Today, this is unparalleled, says the Shen Yun website.
‘Very profound’
June Fontaine, a homemaker, was in the audience with her mother.
“It was a fabulous show,” said Ms. Fontaine.
The two women were particularly intrigued by Shen Yun’s spiritual message.
“I found that the spiritual messages from the show [were] fabulous. I just found it ... very profound,” said Ms. Fontaine.
The aim of Shen Yun Performing Arts is to revive the ancient Chinese traditions which were based upon grace, wisdom and virtues. These values are all but destroyed in China after 60 years of communist rule, says the Shen Yun website.
‘A beautiful experience’
Also in the Hanover Theatre audience was Jane Desarro, who had brought her granddaughter to see Shen Yun as a present for her 10th birthday.
“I would say it was very fantastic,” said Ms. Desarro’s granddaughter who says she is a dancer.
Ms. Desarro, who works in a pharmacy, was thrilled at the way Shen Yun had covered China’s history by presenting performances that ranged from dynastic times right up until modern day events.
“It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful—a beautiful experience,” she said enthusiastically.
“I would highly recommend the show, the dancing, the music, the costumes—everything, and the story,” she said. “It’s a very amazing production.”
Reporting by Steve Gigliotti and Diane Cordemans.
Shen Yun will be in Providence, R.I., on Jan. 19, 2012, at the Providence Performing Arts Center and in Boston Jan. 20–22 for four shows at the Boston Opera House. New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
