UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill.—A family member’s recommendation almost never turns out badly. Shari McGowan’s son saw Shen Yun Performing Arts months ago and thought his mother must get the chance to see it as well.
“My son, who lives in Oregon, said, ‘Mom, I saw this incredible show. You have to go see it. ... You know what? I’m going to buy you a ticket.’ I’m so happy I got to see the show and I’m going to come back next year and see it again,” Ms. McGowan, a former actress, said.
Shen Yun is based in New York, and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“What was so great about it was the costumes and the way they danced. I loved watching the girls. They’re so graceful with their hands, the movements. I was blown away. I thought it was great,” Ms. McGowan said.
“The tumbling. That was incredible. I could never do that in a million years. Even if I was young, I wouldn’t be able to tumble like that. They were incredible,” she said.
“The costumes are beautiful. So colorful and so flowy—the way they moved on stage with them. It’s great,” she said.
Shen Yun’s use of its digital backdrop is patented. The versatility of the technology allows the set to change scenes in the blink of an eye, giving the stage endless possibilities.
“It was fantastic. I loved it. The scenery and how the different people came out of the screen. It was incredible the way you did that. The timing on it was so good. I was just blown away. I thought it was wonderful,” Ms. McGowan said.
“I love the music. It was wonderful because they had they had all kinds of [instruments] with the violins and the harp and the percussion and everything. Everything was just so well organized. Everybody was really in sync with everybody else. It was great,” she said.
