ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Beautiful memories will linger in the minds and hearts of those who attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 Spring Tour show held May 26 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
Complete with orchestra that matched each story-based dance, stunning backdrop scenes, and gorgeously costumed dancers moving in synchronized patterns, the Shen Yun presentation astounded Ms. Fernandez and her daughter Maile.
Ms. Fernandez, who used to be a modern dancer, currently teaches fitness.
She thought the New York-based company was beautiful, colorful, and exciting.
“Impeccably perfect in all their lines and the singing. I am really enjoying the singing and the music,” she said.
She mused over the two-stringed ancient instrument the erhu and wondered how long the virtuoso took to learn to play the soul-stirring tones.
Ms. Fernandez appreciated the movements, the choreography, and the “beautiful” staging.
“Everything is really perfect! This is more classical, but very expressive. Very expressive in their movements, but they are classically trained. I can tell—beautiful. Everything—arms, fingers, toes, the turn of the head is beautiful.
“And the costumes—Wow! Just a spectacle, so you can see the color. The color really is very beautiful and makes you smile.”
She commented on the many “dark … things out there nowadays, and there is a lot of dark, even in dance.”
Ms. Fernandez said she had recently performed in a show that was a little controversial, and that it was nice to see something that was purer in intention, and that didn’t require the audience guessing at what the meaning might be. “You actually don’t have to make any interpretations.
As an American, she was able to “learn some of the Chinese history, what they believe in, how they show it with their music, and their dance, and their art forms.”
She said she loved listening to the Chinese language, recognized by her daughter who speaks Japanese.
“Its universal. It’s wonderful that I can bring her to this.”
Ms. Fernandez sees Shen Yun promoting positive messages, such as hope.
“I think they’re very positive. I think it’s wonderful to see a group of people—not just Asian—still have their beliefs. I think sometimes we forget that part. But it’s okay to have that in their arts. A better way to express it.”
She said the beauty, culture, and family are values that come through the performance.
“They must love what they do. Discipline for sure. I think they ... want to tell their story.
“I wanted more of that—I wanted to see more story. I wanted more of the drummers. I love storytelling. I wanted more of the story.
“Some of the words were interesting, like calamity. I think there is a little message about their beliefs about divinity. Taking the opportunity ... I saw the word opportunity a lot. Don’t miss your chance to be positive.
“I was almost not looking at the words, but I was listening to their intent and their feeling, and then it made me look at the pictures in the back—quite beautiful.
Maile, who is a gymnast, loved every part of the show.
“It’s wonderful. All of it. Mostly the drummers—the drummers were really cool.
“They are very elaborate, they like to express, they like to entertain—they’re just wonderful. I love the colors. I learned that they are very cultural and very family-oriented.
“When I watched the father ... when he died from those evil men. [Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution] I was about to cry when he was about to go up to heaven. It was really touching. I liked it a lot.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Spring Tour 2009. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Complete with orchestra that matched each story-based dance, stunning backdrop scenes, and gorgeously costumed dancers moving in synchronized patterns, the Shen Yun presentation astounded Ms. Fernandez and her daughter Maile.
Ms. Fernandez, who used to be a modern dancer, currently teaches fitness.
She thought the New York-based company was beautiful, colorful, and exciting.
“Impeccably perfect in all their lines and the singing. I am really enjoying the singing and the music,” she said.
She mused over the two-stringed ancient instrument the erhu and wondered how long the virtuoso took to learn to play the soul-stirring tones.
Ms. Fernandez appreciated the movements, the choreography, and the “beautiful” staging.
“Everything is really perfect! This is more classical, but very expressive. Very expressive in their movements, but they are classically trained. I can tell—beautiful. Everything—arms, fingers, toes, the turn of the head is beautiful.
“And the costumes—Wow! Just a spectacle, so you can see the color. The color really is very beautiful and makes you smile.”
She commented on the many “dark … things out there nowadays, and there is a lot of dark, even in dance.”
Ms. Fernandez said she had recently performed in a show that was a little controversial, and that it was nice to see something that was purer in intention, and that didn’t require the audience guessing at what the meaning might be. “You actually don’t have to make any interpretations.
As an American, she was able to “learn some of the Chinese history, what they believe in, how they show it with their music, and their dance, and their art forms.”
She said she loved listening to the Chinese language, recognized by her daughter who speaks Japanese.
“Its universal. It’s wonderful that I can bring her to this.”
Ms. Fernandez sees Shen Yun promoting positive messages, such as hope.
“I think they’re very positive. I think it’s wonderful to see a group of people—not just Asian—still have their beliefs. I think sometimes we forget that part. But it’s okay to have that in their arts. A better way to express it.”
She said the beauty, culture, and family are values that come through the performance.
“They must love what they do. Discipline for sure. I think they ... want to tell their story.
“I wanted more of that—I wanted to see more story. I wanted more of the drummers. I love storytelling. I wanted more of the story.
“Some of the words were interesting, like calamity. I think there is a little message about their beliefs about divinity. Taking the opportunity ... I saw the word opportunity a lot. Don’t miss your chance to be positive.
“I was almost not looking at the words, but I was listening to their intent and their feeling, and then it made me look at the pictures in the back—quite beautiful.
Maile, who is a gymnast, loved every part of the show.
“It’s wonderful. All of it. Mostly the drummers—the drummers were really cool.
“They are very elaborate, they like to express, they like to entertain—they’re just wonderful. I love the colors. I learned that they are very cultural and very family-oriented.
“When I watched the father ... when he died from those evil men. [Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution] I was about to cry when he was about to go up to heaven. It was really touching. I liked it a lot.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Spring Tour 2009. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
