ROSEMONT, Ill.—Company owner Michelle Giachetti wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she entered the Rosemont Theatre to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time on April 23. Exiting the venue at the end of the matinee, Mrs. Giachetti said, “It was beautiful.”
“It was really something, the colors and the music. It was beautiful,” she expressed.
“I think it’s very good for the young people to see this, that’s what I have to say. The history of the Chinese culture—I recommend it.”
Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millennia, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they would be blessed by the divine.
Also enjoying the performance was Andrean Schlegel, a sales manager. Shen Yun’s energy reminded her of the spring because it’s “graceful and healing and new.”
The performance was “just amazing,” she commented. “All of the colors were really cool because they’re so graceful when they dance, and it [just seems] easy for them.”
Shen Yun artists are masters of classical Chinese dance, an ancient and highly expressive art form dating back thousands of years.
Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, the company preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through generations.
Ms. Schlegel also enjoyed the piece where the dancers’ long sleeves billowed and flowed like the gentle movement of water on stage.
According to the company’s website, these sleeves were a part of ancient Chinese feminine attire representing humility and grace.
Since its establishment in 2006, Shen Yun has earned widespread acclaim. Each year, the artists present a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions, ensuring that both new and returning audience members are always in for a surprise.
