BERLIN—Mr. Paul Krammling, director at Delacom Europe and head of IP-TV.com Germany, drove 312 miles, from Munich, to see Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“It really was worth my while,” he said. “I loved the show.”
Mr. Krammling experienced Chinese dance for the first time, specifically the comprehensive and ancient art form of classical Chinese dance.
The dance form “has a long history of thousands of years, passed down continuously within the imperial palace and ancient Chinese theater and opera,” according to Shen Yun’s website.
Based in New York, Shen Yun travels around the world purveying the 5,000 year old Chinese culture. The dance is accentuated by handcrafted costumes, digital backdrops, and an orchestra the deftly melds classical Chinese and Western instruments.
“The music pleases Western ears, and, despite blending East and West, the Chinese and Western identity was not lost,” said Mr. Krammling. “This was very impressive.”
At one point in the performance, a virtouso takes the stage. In her hands is an erhu, a two-stringed Chinese violin renowned for its capability.
“The erhu is incredibly expressive, capable of imitating sounds from chirping birds to neighing horses,” according to Shen Yun’s website. “An alto instrument with a middle-high musical range, its melodies can be tender or sonorous. In its lowest and middle range, the erhu is especially stirring and somber, a quality especially suitable for conveying the grand pageant of China’s history and the emotions of its people.”
Mr. Krammling said the erhu was played very well.
“The tone of the erhu was very pleasing and provided an unexpected harmony,” he said. “I was totally taken by the musical symbiosis.”
And while Shen Yun has as its mission to revive the ancient culture, the ruling communist regime in China nearly destroyed the culture over the years. Mr. Krammling said that Shen Yun presents a powerful performance.
“Here we are exposed to a 5,000 year old culture that was systematically destroyed during the past 60 to 70 years,” he said. “Keeping the identity of such a large country, one must have its own voice. Because of this, the show tonight is bringing back the once flourishing culture and it is fantastic.”
“I learned from what I have seen today that culture must not be destroyed,” he added.
Mr. Krammling will bring his entire family to the performance next year. And when he tells others about Shen Yun, he will say, “Something like this show has not existed in the past.”
With reporting by Alexander Hamrle
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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