BALTIMORE—Jessie Mortillaro, a dancer, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Hippodrome Theatre on March 15.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 and is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception, Shen Yun has expanded from one to eight equally sized companies that tour around the world simultaneously, reviving traditional Chinese culture and showcasing the beauty of “China before communism.”
Ms. Mortillaro complimented Shen Yun’s male dancers’ techniques.“The male dancers, their tricks were really phenomenal and they were able to incorporate classical techniques while doing those really advanced tricks, which takes a lot of strength,” Ms. Mortillaro said.
As a dancer herself, Ms. Mortillaro was able to highlight some differences between classical Chinese dance and the Eurocentric dance forms she was more familiar with.“And the walks—I noticed their walks are very particular so that they don’t bounce at all when they move,” Ms. Mortillaro observed. “I thought that was really interesting too.”
Ms. Mortillaro also noted the female dancers’ flexibility and was impressed by the water sleeves dance.
Shen Yun depicts the spiritual elements that form the foundation of traditional Chinese culture. Ms. Mortillaro appreciated “how they showed it in such a positive light” and liked “that they were showcasing their beliefs in a way that was very uplifting.”
“What I saw is to be kind, to be generous,” she said.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.