CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Architect Jane Sheehan found Shen Yun Performing Arts uplifting and informational, giving her an in-depth look into the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization
“It’s just beautiful and uplifting,” Ms. Sheehan said after seeing Shen Yun at the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center on April 15. “It’s so uplifting and informational in terms of getting to see the in-depth part of a Chinese culture. It’s beautiful.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a
mission to revive “China before communism” through music and dance.
Ms. Sheehan was impressed with the dancers and the feats they accomplished on stage. Classical Chinese dance is, alongside
ballet, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world, as the emcees explain during the performance. In addition to mastery of dance fundamentals and the unique postures and movements of the ancient art form, the dancers also need mastery of tumbling techniques—the high-flying leaps, flips, and spins from which modern sports like gymnastics and acrobatics originate.
“I mean the athleticism in all of it is just beyond compare. And then they’re synchronized so well together,” Ms. Sheehan said.
“I think you can feel the divinity in it. It’s magical. Even one dancer doing the whole thing alone would be spectacular, but to see them all in sync, it’s divine,” she added.
Indeed, the name “Shen Yun” translates as “the beauty of divine beings dancing,” a reference to the divinely inspired nature of traditional Chinese culture. It’s Shen Yun’s mission to
revive this once-nearly-lost traditional Chinese culture through the arts.
Ms. Sheehan said the “devastation of the whole culture” in China was something she was aware of, and thought it “dreadful” that the Chinese communist regime’s oppression continues today. She expressed her admiration for the artists and support for their mission.
“I just found out today that there are
eight different [Shen Yun] troupes that travel and do it, and that’s fantastic. The word gets out, and I would love for more of this to get revived,” Ms. Sheehan said.
“They’re amazing. Beyond the sacrifices that they’ve made to put on a performance like this, it just touches the soul. It pulls at my heartstrings. So thank you,
performers,” she said.
Ms. Sheehan added that since it was impossible to capture her experience in words, she recommended others to see Shen Yun for themselves.
“No matter what your form of entertainment is, this will move you,” she said.
Reporting by Nancy Bao and Catherine Yang.
