BOSTON—Shen Yun Performing Arts provided an appreciative audience at the Boch Center’s Wang Theatre with a performance they would remember on April 6.
Ralph Brooks, a former college basketball player, athletic director, and teacher, said this was the first time he’d been in the Wang Theatre in 20 years.
“It’s just so nice to watch a show in this place,” he said. “This is March Madness, and now here we are watching this amazing performance. I’m really impressed.”
“The music has been phenomenal. Smooth, nice, succinct, and the dancing and the athleticism is off the charts. I’m an athlete myself, so I’m just so impressed with the smoothness, the athleticism, the music. It is just incredible. Incredible—one of a kind.”
“I just have such an awe with athleticism when it comes to movement, jumping, landing smoothly. It’s just beautiful to watch, I have to say,” he said.
New York-based Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely-inspired culture. Many of the dances show China’s rich spiritual heritage that was prized by all in the country before communism took hold in 1949. Mr. Brooks said the stories made a deep impact on his wife, who is from France.
“It’s just so good to see a show of something good in the world, especially what we have going on in our country right now. It’s just such a beautiful, beautiful show,” he said.
China’s ancient spiritual values might be what the world needs today, Mr. Brooks said. He was amazed at how this theme was presented on stage with Shen Yun’s bright colors and lighting.
“Exactly, we need this more. You know, I want people to see the light [on the stage]. It’s just so beautiful. It really is. We’re just enjoying every minute of it,” he said.
An audience favorite is Shen Yun’s use of its patented animated backdrop that has the performers jump in and out as if to dive into another realm.
“And then the synchronized part of it blows me away. I was asking them how they jump and then they come onto the screen. So, whoever is doing that is right on time, and it’s beautiful. So that has been a big part of it, not only that, but the actual videography has been just incredible as well,” Mr. Brooks said.
“The synchronized part of it is off the charts. And I’m just so impressed with athleticism to movement where it’s just so compassionate to bring joy to the world. As a former athlete and as somebody that loves movement, it’s just off the charts.”
Mr. Brooks said he taught at Waldorf schools, also known as Steiner schools. Shen Yun dancers train in Chinese classical dance techniques where movement of the body tells a story.
“So, movement, music is so important in the life of the Waldorf school, and it certainly has been so evident in this show. It was grace, strength, and beauty through the spiritual diviner. Phenomenal.”
