FRESNO, Calif.—Being a great dancer is like being an athlete but making it graceful and expressive at the same time. And somehow, Shen Yun Performing Arts makes it look easy.
“It’s very, very inspiring. Coming from a background of technique, I see a lot of the hard work that they put in,” said Sophia McAllister, a dancer.
Shen Yun is based in New York and its dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
Ms. McAllister, who came to see Shen Yun with her mom and dad, shared her understanding that achieving Shen Yun’s level of dance takes years of practice.
“I grew up learning different techniques. You don’t get it just the first time. It takes years and years of practice. And so to get to this level of difficulty and just greatness, it’s really inspiring to see,” Ms. McAllister said.
She shared that she had an instructor who once studied classical Chinese dance, so this dance form wasn’t completely foreign to her. This dance form is Shen Yun’s vessel for beautiful storytelling.
“The Chinese dance, they can tell you stories. It’s very clear. The motions that they do are very clear, and it’s very easy to follow,” Ms. McAllister stated.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun’s dances take stories from these five millennia and bring them to life.
“I like the story of the couple getting married and kind of going through that adversity. It was very, very emotional and very evoking,” she said.
She was referring to the dance that portrayed the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in present-day China.
“To know that it’s going on in China today, it’s a little bit heartbreaking to hear that,” Ms. McAllister said.
She added that the story was so engaging and she was sorry to see it end.
“I think in the moment of watching it, it was very eye-catching and very engaging to see. And I wish the piece was a little bit longer because I wanted to see more,” she said.
Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.
“I’m just inspired by the creativity of it. The 3D screen, that was amazing. How they jump off the stage and they fly off. I love that. That was new to me,” Sophia’s mom, Kimberly McAllister, said.
