BORDEAUX, France—Sébastien Couillaud and his family “had a lovely, lovely afternoon” on Sunday, Jan. 26 when they came to experience Shen Yun at Bordeaux’s Arkea Arena.
“It’s a prodigious show! Magnificent! With a lot of experience, a lot of temerity, because the paintings are sumptuous,” said Mr. Couillaud.
“A fine coordination of all the players, both the music and the orchestration,” said Mr. Couillaud, a winegrower whose estate is located in the “petite Champagne” in Bougneau (Charente-Maritime). For five generations, the Couillaud family has been producing Cognac in the village of Montignac.
His wife, Emmanuelle, a bank account manager, appreciated the “synchronization” that existed “between the screen and the stage,” referring to the connection between the animated digital backdrop and the dancers on stage.
“Freedoms are not the same everywhere in the world, that’s for sure,” said Mr. Couillaud. “And dance is also a way of asserting these freedoms, so it’s a fine message you’re sending out too.”
Shen Yun conveys, according to the winemaker, “values of humanity, quite simply.”
“Values of living well together, all together, in the most harmonious country in the world, without war, without conflict, and with respect and tolerance.”
This retired businessman is now co-manager with his son of their video surveillance company.
Shen Yun means “the beauty of divine beings dancing,” following the ancestral belief of a culture inherited from the divine. The ancient Chinese placed spirituality and faith at the heart of their daily lives, respecting the harmony between heaven, earth, and man.
“It speaks to me, because every country looks to its roots, to what has built the country, what also drives it forward,” said Mr. Dalla-Torre.
Annie-Louise Tenfour and Jean-Michel Bernos said they were “really impressed by Shen Yun’s orchestra.”
“I really enjoyed the show for several reasons. Firstly, because most of them are young people. I especially liked the orchestra. I think the fact that it was underpinned by this orchestra really gave it meaning and panache,” said Mrs Tenfour.
In addition to the orchestra, which successfully combines the sounds of ancient Chinese melodies and instruments with a classical Western symphony, Mrs. Tenfour and Mr. Bernos also discovered and appreciated classical Chinese dance.
“It’s fabulous!” exclaimed Mr. Bernos.
The couple were also delighted to feel the connection to the divine that characterizes Shen Yun.
“We feel very close to the spiritual quest. We’re Christians,” said Mr. Bernos, ”so we found things on a spiritual level that spoke to us.
“In our everyday lives, we strive to live this spirit, and so to find it in shows is something quite original and interesting today.”
For Mrs. Tenfour, Shen Yun “is different. There’s something else.
