Harley and Connie Baker at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Gallo Center for the Arts – Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, in Modesto, on Oct. 19, 2021. Zhou Rong/The Epoch Times
MODESTO, Calif.—“The beauty of divine being dancing,” is the meaning behind the name, Shen Yun Performing Arts. Harley Baker, a professor, was struck by the emotions and sincerity of Shen Yun’s dancers.
“Their movements were well-choreographed ... synchronized, well-articulated with the music. It moved me emotionally,” Prof. Baker said.
He also felt the sincerity of the dancers through their expressions. The modesty of the entire performance also struck Prof. Baker, who attended the performance with his wife Connie, a retired professor, who said the performance was “phenomenal.”
New York-based Shen Yun is focused on expressing traditional values and showcasing “China before communism.” The costumes in Shen Yun’s performances reflect the attire of ancient China and the attire of the different ethnic groups of China.
“I thought that was lovely that they didn’t give in to the kind of sensationalism or Westernism of showing as much as they possibly can,” the professor said. “There was incredible modesty and incredible beauty in what they did.”
The live animation characteristic of Shen Yun’s performances—which bridges east and west in its orchestra, and old and new in its digital animations—extends the stage boundlessly. Dancers are seen dancing gracefully on the stage at one moment and then seen flying into the sky or diving deep into the ocean the next.
“I thought that was brilliant,” Prof. Baker said of the digital backdrops. “It was just so well-integrated. It brought such a depth and dimension to everything.
It really felt like there was an entire universe on the stage.
— Harley Baker
“It really felt like there was an entire universe on the stage,” he added.
Shen Yun Dancers Are Beautiful
Karen Wilson (L) and school teacher, Laurie, at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Gallo Center for the Arts – Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, in Modesto, on Oct. 19, 2021. Zhou Rong/The Epoch Times
Karen Wilson, a financial analyst, said she enjoyed the performance so much that she will be recommending it to more people.
“I hope [Shen Yun comes] back every year. I think more people need to see it, and I think more people need to know about it,” Ms. Wilson said.
“The dancers are beautiful—the skirts, the sleeves, everything. All of the scenes are very different.”
She elaborated, saying, “We get to see their faces and their smiles and their eyes, and their energy and their enthusiasm. It’s very beautiful.”
Reporting by Zhou Rong and Maria Han.
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.
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