BOURNEMOUTH, UK—Iain Westman, retired company director, had done his research on Shen Yun Performing Arts after receiving a flyer, and realized it was a performance he really wanted to see for himself.
“I’m absolutely loving it. It’s a visual and audio extravaganza. It’s just one that’s very difficult to explain it. I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Mr. Westman said after seeing the performance at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Feb. 12.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company and has, since its inception in 2006 grown to have eight groups that simultaneously tour the globe. Audience members often describe the performance as something that can’t be explained in words or even video, a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“The water sleeve dance was just beautiful and stunning. But right early on, I think it was the third dance ... there were some parts of it where I had tears in my eyes,” he said. “And I just loved it. It was great. I didn’t know what to expect tonight, and I just thought it was very, very good.”
One of the production’s surprises was the digital backdrop, which allowed characters to move seamlessly from stage to screen, from the earth to the heavens.
“It’s very clever. That’s really very clever, isn’t it? Yes, the way that the people drop off the stage at the back and then go up into the screen—it’s very clever,” he said, “I thought that was very very well done.”
“To encourage people to be less selfish, more caring, more wholesome,” he said. “I fear for future generations. And something like this, it’s just a wonderful way to live, I think.”
