NEW YORK—The virtues of benevolence, honesty, and loyalty were told through dance as Shen Yun Performing Arts played at the Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on Friday night, Jan. 13.
Yvonne Purdie, the Deputy Director and Training and Development Administrator at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, attended the performance. “I loved it,” she said.
“You learn a lot about the Chinese culture,” she said. “It was just wonderful and I am glad I experienced it.”
Shen Yun aims to revive China’s ancient culture, values, and spirituality through dance and music, according to the New York-based company’s website. The company was formed in 2006 and has toured around the world in over 100 cities.
Shen Yun’s dancers “were great, wonderful, [and their] costumes were beautiful,” she said. “They just were so tremendous.”
While classical Chinese dance lies at the heart of every Shen Yun performance, it also features a tableaux of colorful costumes that were inspired from dress from the Han, Tang, Qin, and other Chinese dynasties, according to the company.
However, Ms. Purdie said she “especially loved the orchestra,” which according to the company, joins together Western classical and Chinese instruments to create a unique fusion of sound.
She was near “the percussion section ... and we could see all their movements,” Ms. Purdie said, adding that “it was just magnificent to see.” There are also several solo vocalists who use the bel canto technique interspersed throughout the performance, which she also lauded.
In an uninterrupted fashion, Chinese civilization has lasted for 5,000 years and according to Shen Yun, it draws from the culture’s wealth of stories and legends. The stories are told through dance and a digital backdrop is present as a visual aid, but there are also two emcees to help the audience understand the nuances.
Reporting by NTD Television and Jack Phillips.
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at New York’s Lincoln Center through Jan. 15.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
