SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Company CEO James Harlan and his wife, Tara, along with their four children, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center on the evening of Jan. 31, after discovering the performing arts company on Facebook.
The performance is comprised of a series of short pieces that take its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.
Mr. Harlan was very impressed by Shen Yun’s story-based dances and loved how the dancers collaborated seamlessly with the live orchestra and the 3D backdrop to bring ancient fairy tales to life.
He especially enjoyed the folk tale behind what is sometimes known as “Chinese Valentine’s Day,” in which a young village boy falls in love with a beautiful celestial fairy and, through determination and love, finds a way to be with her against all odds.
“It’s really nice, and then the digital transitions from the screen into the dancing is really cool,” he said. “It was helpful [to have the story dances,] reading the program helped us understand what was going on too.”
“It’s worth it to keep the traditions … I think culture helps you understand people. It affects the language, the clothing, the integrity that people have,” he said. “I appreciate the culture and learning about it, and respect it a lot.”
Also in the audience was Garrik Danilov, a chiropractor, and Patty Hickner, a violinist. They, too, had a wonderful evening.
“It’s fantastic. It’s very, very, very well organized and beautifully performed,” Mr. Danilov said. “The dancers, they’re so elegant and the background is beautiful. It’s three-dimensional. Magical. It’s beautiful.”
