BERKELEY—Debbie Woodbury, publisher of a local newspaper, had wanted to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for several years and thought the research she had done and videos she had watched had given her an idea of what the performance was like.
“You need to at least see it to experience the real meaning of it,” she said after seeing Shen Yun at Zellerbach Hall on Jan. 11. Tit’s not just a show or a performance, it’s an experience—and the only way to feel it is to see it live.”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a
mission to show audiences China before communism through music and dance.
Audience members often echo Ms. Woodbury’s sentiments that the performance cannot be captured in words or even videos.
“If I had to do a one-word reflection, it would be beautiful,” Ms. Woodbury said.
Ms. Woodbury shared some of the many components of a Shen Yun production that came together to create the two-hour experience: bilingual
emcees come out and briefly introduce each vignette, classical Chinese dancers float across the stage as they perform an art that few audience members have ever really seen, an
orchestra that incorporates ancient Chinese instruments performs original compositions using ancient Chinese melodies, and an animated backdrop ties it all together.
“They really brought the story to life,” Ms. Woodbury said.
Ms. Woodbury said at times, she felt happy, and other times meditative, as the music took her along. She was saddened to learn that the traditional Chinese culture conveyed by
Shen Yun is all but banned in China today, but happy that Shen Yun’s mission was to revive it.
“I just feel compassion, peace, joy,” said Ms. Woodbury. “Just inner peace.”
Reporting by Lily Yu and Catherine Yang.
