PHILADELPHIA—Shen Yun Performing Arts was enthusiastically applauded, on Friday evening, at The Merriam Theater with a standing ovation and three curtain calls.
Laurie Jakubauskas, horse trainer and internationally renowned show jumper, was in the audience with her friend Lauren Cunningham, a saleswoman.
“It was very visually stunning,” said Ms. Cunningham. “I liked the message behind it, and the music was beautiful.”
New York-based Shen Yun has traveled the globe since 2006, says its website, with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of Chinese culture after more than 60 years of Communist rule in China threatened to destroy it.
The performances present Classical Chinese dance—an ancient art form that is rich with expressive power—along with a digital backdrop, handcrafted regalia, and an orchestra in which “the distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments like the erhu and the pipa are bathed in a rich sea of Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass,” according to Shen Yun’s website.
Ms. Jakubauskas said she really related with the songs sung by Shen Yun’s award-winning vocalists.
“I love the part about … the truth bringing you home because I’m all about the truth,” she said, referring to the song “The Mortal World is like a Sea.”
“And,” Ms. Jakubauskas continued, “it was beautiful.”
Reporting by Pamelia Tsai and Zack Stieber.
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at The Merriam Theater, in Philadelphia through Jan. 8.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
