KEELUNG, Taiwan—Shen Yun Performing Arts graced the stage at the Keelung Culture Center on March 23 to a packed house. Mr. Tsao Chao-Chi, president of Unicorn Tien Chi Co., was in the audience. He felt very lucky being able to see the performance, “It makes me feel like an emperor in ancient China,” he said.
“I felt so fortunate,” he added. “I experienced the realm of heaven on earth, like described in the Tang Dynasty poems.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, tours the globe purveying the 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture. With a base of classical Chinese dance—one of the most ancient art forms in the world—Shen Yun presents tales and legends from across time and space.
Mr. Chao-Chi said that after seeing the dance pieces, he furthered his understanding of ancient Chinese culture.
“I finally knew how gorgeous and stunning the Dance of Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Dress described in a Tang poem was,” he said. “As soon as the curtain rose in the second half of the show, it brought me to heaven on earth.”
The dancers are adorned with handmade costumes.
“The costumes truly reflect the charm and exquisite beauty of various ethnic groups and their culture, like the happiness of the Bai people in Dali,” said Mr. Chao-Chi. “They also vividly presented the optimistic attitude towards life of the Mongolian people. I felt like I was at the Mongolian prairie just watching them dance!”
Another component of the Shen Yun, the digitally animated backdrops enhance the dance and music.
Mr. Tsao appreciated the backdrops.
“The flowing sand river was life-like,” he said. “Because of the backdrop animation, the story of the Journey to the West was so real. It was like Tang Sanzang, Monkey King, Sand Monk, and Pigsy, were right in front of me reenacting the story all over again.”
‘The programs were wonderful’
A fond memory of two years ago brought former city councilor Ma Chongwyu and his wife back this year, as they attended the second performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company at Keelung Cultural Center Performing Hall on March 21, 2013. The programs, the creativity, and the dedication of the performers had Mr. Ma saying, “It is worthwhile to learn with all your heart.”
Seeing Shen Yun for the second time, Mr. Ma was even more touched. Besides the usual kaleidoscope of programs that Shen Yun presents each year, he was able to appreciate the diverse nature of its beauty more.
Applauding the performance, Mr. Ma added, “The programs were wonderful. The costumes and the backdrop were eye-catching. Performances are done with compassion. It must have taken quite some time to be able to do all these dances. Great work and dedication.”
Noticing the unique artistic elements in Shen Yun this time around, Mr. Ma hoped “More lovers of arts will become aware of the unique artistic elements that come only from Shen Yun, and the dedication of the Shen Yun performers in bringing the audience a splendid and beautiful performance.”
The commentary by the two masters of ceremony likewise earned Mr. Ma’s accolades. He said they were “very funny, [and] constant laughter could be heard from the audience.”
“The dancing was superb with many very difficult techniques,” he said. “The creativity is world-class. The orchestra is world-class.” Mr.
Ma later clarified what he meant by creativity, saying “People could easily grasp the creativity inherit in every program. When that was coupled with the backdrop, people easily understood and got a long-lasting impression.”
Mr. Ma commented that in a mere two hours, “Everything from the performance is of our 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Every single program can be appreciated by young children, as evident from their laughter, and people of all ages. This is definitely something special.”
Read the original Chinese article. [1] [2]
Reporting by Teh-Man Tai and Hsin-Yi Lin, Zheng Xinci and Frank Fang
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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