CANBERRA—After a beautiful sunny autumn day, a clear starry night heralded Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company into Australia’s capital for a full house at the Canberra Theatre on Tuesday, March 8.
Robert Nichols, a public servant who manages Indigenous health, and his wife Susan, who works in the same department and is responsible for supplying PBS medicines to Australia, were at the opening night performance.
Ms. Nichols’ mother is Chinese Malaysian and she had told her many stories from Chinese culture as she was growing up. She felt it was good to see a production from a Chinese aspect.
She had wanted to see Shen Yun for some years and was very excited to be able to do so this year, so they had made “a bit of an event” out of it.
“I was really excited … we have been looking forward to it all week, and we have really built up to the experience. It’s been so exciting, and it didn’t disappoint,” she said.
There were so many aspects to the performance that Ms. Nichols appreciated.
“It’s just the colour and the lights and the music, and all the atmosphere. It’s just really good.”
Mr. Nichols was “really glad” he came and was “excited by it.”
He loved each performance so much he said, “I couldn’t wait for the next one, it was so good,” although he added, “I wanted to enjoy the one I was watching as well.
“All the colour, really a lot of sparkle and colour, and the music and everything comes together really nicely.”
He appreciated the words of the singers being displayed on the digital backdrop where magnificent landscapes were projected behind the performers. He particularly mentioned the baritone singing the song Path to Heaven, which he described as being about “people who come to earth to try to be good but there are a lot of temptations.”
He was also impressed with the digital technology and the way people seem to fly out of the screen and onto the stage. That was “really good and effective,” he said.
Shen Yun touched Mr. Nichol’s heart one performance after another. “I think the opening sequence … all the colour and beauty and everything. And the girls standing up and dancing, it was really breathtaking.”
He referred to the performance Ladies of the Tang Palace saying, “The girls with the really lovely silk costumes ... that was really stirring and the choreography was good, they were all in time.”
Shen Yun tours with a live orchestra of both Western and Chinese instruments playing original scores.
Mr. Nichols said he was moved by the “emotion in the music.”
“It really makes you feel like you are a part of it. It wraps around nicely and fits you right into it.”
The New York-based Shen Yun brings China’s 5,000 years of history to the stage with ancient legends, modern tales and folk dances.
“I’ve never seen some of the really ancient ideas, like the idea of where the kings came from in the very beginning, which was interesting. I’ve never appreciated that before.”
Ms. Nichols added, “It’s very uplifting.”
With reporting by De Ming and Leigh Smith.
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform one more show in Canberra on Wednesday, March 9, before continuing its 2011 World Tour to Taiwan. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Robert Nichols, a public servant who manages Indigenous health, and his wife Susan, who works in the same department and is responsible for supplying PBS medicines to Australia, were at the opening night performance.
Ms. Nichols’ mother is Chinese Malaysian and she had told her many stories from Chinese culture as she was growing up. She felt it was good to see a production from a Chinese aspect.
She had wanted to see Shen Yun for some years and was very excited to be able to do so this year, so they had made “a bit of an event” out of it.
“I was really excited … we have been looking forward to it all week, and we have really built up to the experience. It’s been so exciting, and it didn’t disappoint,” she said.
There were so many aspects to the performance that Ms. Nichols appreciated.
“It’s just the colour and the lights and the music, and all the atmosphere. It’s just really good.”
Mr. Nichols was “really glad” he came and was “excited by it.”
He loved each performance so much he said, “I couldn’t wait for the next one, it was so good,” although he added, “I wanted to enjoy the one I was watching as well.
“All the colour, really a lot of sparkle and colour, and the music and everything comes together really nicely.”
He appreciated the words of the singers being displayed on the digital backdrop where magnificent landscapes were projected behind the performers. He particularly mentioned the baritone singing the song Path to Heaven, which he described as being about “people who come to earth to try to be good but there are a lot of temptations.”
He was also impressed with the digital technology and the way people seem to fly out of the screen and onto the stage. That was “really good and effective,” he said.
Shen Yun touched Mr. Nichol’s heart one performance after another. “I think the opening sequence … all the colour and beauty and everything. And the girls standing up and dancing, it was really breathtaking.”
He referred to the performance Ladies of the Tang Palace saying, “The girls with the really lovely silk costumes ... that was really stirring and the choreography was good, they were all in time.”
Shen Yun tours with a live orchestra of both Western and Chinese instruments playing original scores.
Mr. Nichols said he was moved by the “emotion in the music.”
“It really makes you feel like you are a part of it. It wraps around nicely and fits you right into it.”
The New York-based Shen Yun brings China’s 5,000 years of history to the stage with ancient legends, modern tales and folk dances.
“I’ve never seen some of the really ancient ideas, like the idea of where the kings came from in the very beginning, which was interesting. I’ve never appreciated that before.”
Ms. Nichols added, “It’s very uplifting.”
With reporting by De Ming and Leigh Smith.
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform one more show in Canberra on Wednesday, March 9, before continuing its 2011 World Tour to Taiwan. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
