MONTREAL—When asked how watching Shen Yun Performing Arts made her feel, music therapist Monique Coulombe Thibault pointed to her heart and said, “It takes me directly here.”
“It’s a beautiful show,” Ms. Thibault said after seeing Shen Yun at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montreal on April 15.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. It was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists who wished to revive the traditional culture of China, a heritage with 5,000 years of history and deeply spiritual foundations that has been all but destroyed following decades of communist rule.
One of Shen Yun’s unique features is its orchestra. It’s the first in the world to permanently combine classical Western and Chinese instruments within a Western symphony orchestra. Shen Yun also boasts virtuoso vocalists who sing Chinese lyrics using the bel canto style.
Ms. Thibault said she very much enjoyed Shen Yun’s music.
“It’s really beautiful,” she said. “The instruments are very beautiful. ... The singer ... is very special/”
According to the Shen Yun website, there are different aspects that make the performing arts company’s music a perfect harmony of the classical music of the East and West.
“First, the Western orchestra serves as a foundation, accentuating the distinct sound of Chinese instruments. Second, the bedrock of soul-stirring melodies from the ancient Middle Kingdom is fully brought to life by a Western symphony. This is what makes Shen Yun’s music unique and is a new frontier in classical music,” says Shen Yun’s website.
Feeling Energized
Saruul Khishigjargal at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montreal on April 15, 2022. NTD
Saruul Khishigjargal, who works as a fundraiser for McGill University, said Shen Yun made her feel energized.
“When you see something so beautiful and artistic, I think that it gives us a certain kind of liveliness and that’s what I feel right now,” she said.
Ms. Khishigjargal pointed out that Shen Yun features a variety of dances with different storylines and that each one elicits different feelings from the audience.
“Every performance had [its] own specific kind of emotion that I was feeling,” she said. “The one that was recent, with the persecution of [Falun Dafa], that was particularly hard for me because it touched on such important topics like [organ harvesting] and the family.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts Global Company's curtain call at at the Théâtre Maisonneuve, in Montreal, on April 13, 2022. NTD
Ms. Khishigjargal said she is originally from Mongolia and can relate to the Chinese culture, as her own culture has many similarities with that of the Middle Kingdom.
Shen Yun’s mission to show China before communism is an important one, she added.
“I think it’s fascinating to learn Chinese history,” she said. “And the storylines with the traditional ... tales and the folklore—it’s all very interesting to see.”
What made the performance all the more special for her, besides the historical aspect, was the artistic aspect.
“In terms of technical proficiency, artistry, the design, the music, it’s all very well-made. And I think that’s because they combine a lot of different techniques that make for a much more exciting and thrilling show,” she said.
Reporting by NTD.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
![Connecticut Mayor: ‘People in China Need [Shen Yun] to Remind Them of Who They Are’](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2F11%2Fid5648198-1.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
