OTTAWA, Canada—Shen Yun Performing Arts’ combination of Eastern and Western musical instruments in its live orchestra, vivid and dynamic backdrops, and stellar dancing and singing enraptured the audience at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on Jan. 4. 

Among the many Chinese people attending the show were students Mr. Li and Mr. Wang. The two had just arrived in Canada to study abroad when they saw an advertisement for Shen Yun and immediately decided to attend. 

“After I came over here, I wanted to see some performances related to China since I am very far from home,” Mr. Li said. 

“I watched a video on the website, probably a clip of a previous program, and I liked it. I always enjoyed traditional things like this,” he explained.

“Then, when I watched the feedback videos on Youtube of audience members from the West, I was very surprised that they all liked the performance. From the look in their eyes and their tears, I could tell that [they] truly loved the show. So from a relatively early time, back in October, I had already decided I definitely needed to come see this performance.”

Mr. Li was impressed by Shen Yun’s beauty and large-scale synchronization of dance and music, noting the differences between the male and female dancers. 

“Shen Yun fully demonstrates the masculinity of men and the soft elegance of women,” he said. 

“My personal favourites were the two relatively fast-paced programs, the Mongolian chopstick dance and the Tai Chi fan dance. They embodied that kind of masculine energy of men particularly well, and I really liked them,” he said.

“Nowadays, although a lot of the modern dancing is very strong, and you can feel the powerful sense of rhythm in the dance, you do not feel that kind of masculinity. So I feel that the name Shen Yun depicts the special Yun, or essence, within the dancing,” he continued. 

“The ladies wearing Tang costumes also performed very well; they expressed a kind of softness, like that of the traditional Chinese female virtues. I believe I have never seen such an excellent [program] in portraying the feminine qualities of women.”

Mr. Li said that as soon as he saw the costumes of Shen Yun, he felt they had this ineffable beauty. According to the website, the costumes are all originally designed and handmade.

“I also felt the clothing was stunning. This clothing was designed by Chinese people right? The costumes were just so beautiful; they were wonderful!”

Mr. Li believes that Shen Yun promotes the spread of Chinese culture worldwide, and that the performers’ demeanor helps portray the essence of the culture.

“Earlier, when the English-speaking host introduced the performance, he mentioned that these performers were all taught traditional culture. I think nurturing them with this culture affected their performance, and not only their studies of technical skills. For example, when you see the Shaolin monks, some learn the movements of martial arts, while others learn the virtues and inner meanings behind martial arts. Afterwards, you discover that they are not the same.”

Reporting by Fu Ming and Irene Luo

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts. 

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.

Read the Chinese article http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/14/1/5/n4051342.htm