MESA, Ariz.—Shen Yun concluded its run at the Ikeda Theater March 3, performing to a full house receiving a standing ovation.
“Great, really great,” said actor Travis James. He went on to say he “really enjoyed the performance very much.” Mr. Travis had heard about Shen Yun’s dancing but was “not expecting the vocal performances, so it was an unexpected delight.”
Mr. James was impressed by Shen Yun’s dancing and the “combination of both the choreography and the costumes,” how the costumes flow with the dance movements.
New York-based Shen Yun is on its global tour to more than 100 cities and 20 countries, fulfilling its mission of bringing ancient Chinese culture to the stage via the performing arts.
“I’ve always respected Chinese culture because of how far back it goes … thousands of years and to see it put on stage is quite remarkable,” said Mr. Travis.
“Since ancient times, China has been known as the ‘Celestial Empire.’ This not only refers to China’s strength and position as East Asia’s Middle Kingdom; it also captures a more profound meaning, describing a land where the divine and mortal once coexisted. It refers to the belief that the divine, through various dynasties, transmitted a rich and abundant culture to the Chinese people. Chinese culture is thus known as ‘divinely inspired,’ and is the only culture in the world to have a continuous recorded history of 5,000 years,” states its website.
Reflecting on Shen Yun’s spiritual aspect, Mr. James said, “It’s so beautiful and interesting.”
“For every culture it’s important to know about what took place before. For me that’s always the most important thing of any culture.”
After seeing China’s history unfold on stage through expressive choreography, classical music and opera Mr. James said that he gained more respect and recommended for people to “see the show because it provides an interesting viewpoint into Chinese culture through dance.”
Reporting by Yaning Liu and Maria Banks.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company is performing at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 5–6, and the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, March 10. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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