HARTFORD, Conn.—Beautiful in its authenticity, Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour opened at Hartford’s renowned theater, The Bushnell, on March 21.
Mr. Long was one of the theatregoers at the performance. He performs the Japanese lion dance, Shishi-mai, and tells bi-lingual stories in both Japanese and English. He was right at home with Shen Yun’s presentation of China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture, conveyed through classical Chinese dance and music.
“I am very much aware of Asian culture and arts, since I lived in Japan for many years ... of drumming and the traditional instruments of Asia, Japan, and China,” Mr. Long said.
He had seen a number of Chinese shows while living in Japan.
“I love that and miss that and would love to see more of those here in the United States,” he said.
He acknowledged a chasm of difference between Shen Yun’s presentation and China’s renowned Peking Opera.
Shen Yun, based in New York, has at its heart to renew humanity’s true, rightful, divinely inspired cultural heritage. Story-based dances, vocalists, music, high-tech backdrop scenes, and choreography help bring this mission alive.
Mr. Long had seen other shows, but “here you are ... showing a series of vignettes, little short stories, using sort of [the] same techniques where you do not have a complex set.
“You have very simple backdrops—you are using technology, which is wonderful to look at, but the costumes are very shiny and very ornate.
“The program is amazing. I love a live orchestra with dance, because it gives it a wonderful energy, whereas [in] other shows with recorded music, I find that it gives [off a] negative effect.”
With an annual roster of over 350 events and an annual audience of over 300,000, The Bushnell is a major economic driver for the Greater Hartford region and the state. It has delighted and inspired audiences for more than seven decades and plays a leading role in Connecticut’s cultural life, according to its website.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit shenyunperformingarts.org
