SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Musician Admires Shen Yun’s Orchestra Music, Artistry of the Dancers

Jun 02, 2022

LUBBOCK, Texas—Shen Yun Performing Arts delighted its audience at the Buddy Holly Hall on May 31 with classical Chinese dance and folk dance and music.

One audience member impressed by the New York-based performing arts company was musician Clinton Barrick.

Mr. Barrick admired “the artistry of the dancers, and the beauty of the orchestra, and the music that’s composed just for [Shen Yun].”

Shen Yun presents a live orchestra, a unique combination of traditional Eastern and classical Western instruments.

“I loved it very much. And I liked the Eastern instruments because we don’t hear them very much,” said Mr. Barrick.

Mr. Barrick plays the horn. He is also the director of programming for a network of radio stations in Texas. Since the 1980s he has been a music director for both churches and synagogues.

He also enjoyed the Shen Yun’s vocalists noting that the tenor was excellent.

Among the traditional instruments in the performance is the erhu, the Chinese two-stringed violin. “Beautiful,” said Mr. Barrick. “I like it a lot.”

China was once known as the “celestial kingdom” and, according to legend, was a world where divine beings and mortals once co-existed in harmony. The dances and songs in Shen Yun portray traditional as well as modern stories which are imbued with spiritual and moral values.

Mr. Barrick enjoyed learning about Chinese traditions and watching the story-based dances.

“The stories were all very clear. I understood all the stories. So it was very good,” he said.

He sent a message of encouragement to Shen Yun’s artists. “Keep doing [your performances], so that we all know what this art is.”

‘It’s Enlightening, Makes My Heart Feel Light’

Lee Rice, a retired railroad train conductor, was also in the audience with his family.

“It is the first time I’ve seen the [performance] and I brought my two granddaughters, and my daughter, and my lovely wife to see it. So I wanted to share [Shen Yun] with them,” he said.

Mr. Rice is very interested in history.

“And so [Shen Yun] was a chance to actually witness some of the ancient dances the Chinese people had. And I liked the way it’s presented from the different areas and the different types of dance because I didn’t understand that until tonight,” he said.

The colorful folk and ethnic dances with their distinctive rhythms take the audience from the Mongolian Plains across to the plateaus of Tibet.

“But the beauty, the pageantry, the costumes, it’s beautiful. It’s wonderful,” said Mr. Rice

“It’s enlightening and makes my heart feel light. And I love it. So I feel like it’s a great event that we all should see. I love to learn about other cultures. So we’re very appreciative that [the performers] have come [to Lubbock],” said Mr. Rice.

Shen Yun’s classical Chinese dances depict stories of ancient dynasties, cherished legends, bucolic scenes, and comical tales. One dance that Mr. Rice found particularly enchanting was “The Restaurant Tale” where restaurant owners playfully compete for customers.

“That was just impressive,” he said.

He was also surprised to learn that acrobatics is an intrinsic part of Chinese classical dance. “So to see the athleticism is fascinating. It’s very enjoyable.”

Shen Yun has set itself the mission of reviving the authentic traditional Chinese culture which was almost destroyed by the Chinese communist regime.

“I think [Shen Yun] shines a light on the Chinese people, the true Chinese people, not the communist government that has taken over and done so many bad things,” said Mr. Rice.

Mr. Rice believed that sometimes there is confusion between Maoist communism and today’s Chinese people.

He was pleased that Shen Yun’s dances represented the true Chinese culture that lies in the hearts of the Chinese people.

Reporting by Sally Sun and Diane Cordemans.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.