MONTREAL—On Saturday afternoon, the sky was filled with thick grey clouds and Montreal was covered with a carpet of wet snow.
But the audience gathered in the Maisonneuve Theatre at Place des Arts witnessed a very different scene—dazzling bright colours filled the stage as energetic dancers fluttered with dexterity and grace.
It was Shen Yun Performing Arts’ third show in Montreal and documentary filmmaker and TV and radio program host Anita Aloisio said she found it spectacular.
“I find the staging is incredible, very very beautiful, very evocative. The story is easy to understand and the dancers are exceptional, they have great precision,” said Ms. Aloisio at intermission.
Each Shen Yun piece is preceded by a short introduction by hosts Jing Xie and Ben Freed who both speak fluent French, English, and Chinese.
Ms. Aloisio, who also speaks three languages (French, English, and Italian) studied communications at Concordia University in the early years 1990s. Since then, she has directed several documentaries including “Children of Bill 101,” which aims to understand the effects that Bill 101 has had on the cultural dynamics of Quebec.
A dancer herself, Ms. Aloisio was particularly impressed with the multimedia aspect of the show.
“I liked the way the video was coordinated with the choreography. It’s exceptional. I really loved that,” she said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts uses a large-scale digital backdrop, which brings to life Chinese landscapes and historical scenes alongside views of heavenly realms.
Traditional China was very spiritual, and was based on different approaches to understanding the universe and human beings. Two fundamental currents of Chinese philosophy, Buddhism and Taoism, are very present in the show.
Ms. Aloisio found the spiritual aspect of Shen Yun “very important, it is an essential element of the show, actually. I even wish I could see more of it.”
With reporting by Olivier Chartrand and Mathieu Côté-Desjardins
Shen Yun has three equally large companies touring the world with an all-new program each year. Each company has its own orchestra and vocal soloists. Shen Yun’s International Company will be in Montreal until Jan. 8 and then continue on to Kitchener, Ontario.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
