STOKE-ON-TRENT, UK—Shen Yun Performing Arts delighted the audiences at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, on Jan. 29.
Suzanne Brown, an account executive, came with her daughter Chloe, a student, to enjoy the performance. Each talked about what stood out for them. Chloe liked the story of Pigsy, a character from the
Chinese classic “Journey to the West.” She said it was “amazing. Nothing like I’ve seen before.”
Shen Yun’s 3D
backdrop plays a part in the story, something Chloe liked. Performers seem to jump into the screen and fly away. “It looks clever. With the storyline, the screen, I liked how they jumped off the stage, and that looked really cool,” she said.
Her mother agreed: “So effective. It looks so real.”
Ms. Brown said so much played into the production. “The
costumes were amazing, so bright, and the screen in the back was amazing. So just eye-opening, I’m lost for words, actually,” she said.
Ms. Brown was fascinated by the dance of the long, flowing sleeves. “We thought it was breathtaking, absolutely amazing. Wonderful,” she said. “it was just mesmerizing.”
Chloe’s mom said her daughter is a dancer and “was blown away by the talent and how much they really clearly practice so, so hard. They’re disciplined.”
Ms. Brown was amazed at the live orchestra. “Oh, wow. They were so good, I can’t believe it was live. It was so timed perfectly for the dancing. It was excellent.”
Shen Yun’s
orchestra has both Eastern and Western instruments, including the Chinese 2-stringed erhu, which intrigued Ms. Brown. “How did that only have two strings? We were lost for words,” she said.
Hosts and the program give short introductions to the dances, which introduce to the audience the themes and storylines of each dance. “The storytelling was helpful to understand what the messages were for each piece. It helped to understand them a little bit better,” said Ms. Brown.
Shen Yun presents traditional Chinese culture that is divinely inspired and conveys universal spiritual values. However, because of the persecution and suppression of freedom of belief in China today, Shen Yun is banned from performing in China.
Ms. Brown agreed. “Really kind of thought-provoking in a sense. I guess I learned something today as well, as to what might be going on in China, as to understanding how difficult it might be,” she said.
“It’s so sad, isn’t it, because it’s their tradition. And for it not to be able to be performed over there, it feels like it’s—Oh, it feels such a shame. But I’m so pleased that we’re able to experience it, and it’s shared with us,” Ms. Brown said.
“I feel like I’ve learned something,” she said. “I certainly enjoyed everything about it, and I would recommend it.”
To describe it to friends and family, Chloe would call Shen Yun “breathtaking.”
Her mom described it as “Mesmerizing. Just so clever, so clever. Beautiful.”
Ms. Brown extended heartfelt gratitude to the
performers: “Thank you for working so hard. Because it must be ... really difficult. But, wow, thanks for sharing that with us.”
To which Chloe added, “They’re amazing.”
Reporting by NTD and Yvonne Marcotte.
