With bilingual emcees introducing each of the dozen or so vignettes, the Bews felt guided through 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and history.
“I love the authenticity of it,” said Mr. Bews, an osteopath. “And that was quite novel. It’s not what you normally get in shows over here.”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to revive China before communism through the arts and share it with the world.
“We love the stories being told, and we loved the precision of the movement, how together they all are,” said Mrs. Bews, Pilates instructor. “It’s breathtaking, breathtaking.”
Mrs. Bews noted more than once how together the dancers were and said that this could only be possible through hard work and commitment together, for them to be so “in tune with each other.”
During the performance, Mrs. Bews would turn to her husband, pointing out movements and moments that were particularly impressive, such as the finale of a classical Chinese dance performed by the female dancers, using long, flowing “water sleeves” that trailed through the air.
Mr. Bews had some of those moments himself when it came to the music. He said he recognized the sound of the erhu—a two-stringed and bowed instrument that is thousands of years old—but he hadn’t known what the instrument was.
“It just flowed. It had a lovely flow to it,” Mr. Bews said.
“It was brilliant. It was lovely. And there’s clearly so much hard work that goes behind it,” he said.
