SALT LAKE CITY—As more people become comfortable with being out and about, they are also being reminded of the great experiences available in live arts.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has been helping people recover from the fear of the pandemic.
“At the very base of it, it is nice for people to be able to come back out and see such a beautiful production like this while we were starved of it for so long that we couldn’t get in large groups,” said Jill Harwood, who works with her husband, Doug Harwood, an architect.
“It helps us kind of connect in that way and it gives us a great outlet to be able to get past this pandemic and get back to life again,” she added.
Shen Yun is based in New York, and while their
mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture, the artists are also devoted to making audiences feel joy.
It is just very emotionally charged and it just pulled so many emotions out of you. It was a wonderful production.
— Jill Harwood
“I just had a smile on my face the entire time. I was on the edge of my seat. It’s graceful strength. You know they exude so much power that they pull that emotion out of you even though it’s graceful and soft. It is just very emotionally charged and it just pulled so many emotions out of you. It was a wonderful production. They did such a good job,” said Mrs. Harwood.
The couple had been looking forward to seeing Shen Yun and were surprised when tickets were gifted to them.
“I have been waiting for years to watch the show. My daughter and her husband surprised us tonight,” said Mrs. Harwood.
Shen Yun’s beauty comes from every aspect of the production. From the backdrop to the handmade costumes, everything about the performance is designed for each year’s brand new production.
“I can fully appreciate
costumes and the gracefulness, the beauty of them. Being able to fly through the air and embracing their traditions and their culture and their beliefs—it was fantastic,” she said.
Shen Yun’s
dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance and with their rigorous training, they are able to accomplish complex maneuvers and beautiful formations.
“I was very impressed with how in sync they were with each other. I like the beauty of the dance and some of it actually told the story about what’s going on
in China and their culture and the whole mix of everything,” Mrs. Harwood said.
Reporting by Yue Yi and Maria Han.
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