CLEVELAND, Ohio—Witnessing the grandeur and elegance of ancient China was worth the wait for a Cleveland couple who took their adopted Chinese daughter to see Shen Yun Performing Arts’ Sunday at the State Theatre.
Jeff Carrillo said: “We have been wanting to see the show for a few years, but she [their daughter Catherine] was too small then.”
Mr. Carrillo, a U.S. Navy Captain, remarked that the way Shen Yun incorporated the animated backdrops was clever. “The monks came down from Heaven and then the girls came from the side,” he said, referring to scenes where characters would seemingly fly onto the stage from the animated backdrops.
“The costumes are so neat, and the dancing is beautiful,” said Jackie Carrillo, who works for the U.S. federal government. Shen Yun’s dancers wear costumes that give “an authentic presentation of the attire that comes from China’s divinely inspired traditional culture,” according to the company’s website.
Many dances portray events and scenes from historical China or classical novels.
The Shen Yun Touring Company is one of three equally large companies simultaneous touring the world, bringing 5,000 years of traditional Chinese dance and music to audiences around the world.
The family’s most memorable dance was the “Mongolian Bowl Dance,” which requires amazing balance and dexterity. “I can’t imagine trying to dance like that,” Mr. Carrillo said.
Reporting by Benjamin Chasteen and Frank Yu.
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies that tour the world each year on a mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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