TORONTO—Project manager Irina Vasina had wanted to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for years, but COVID thwarted her plans. She was thrilled to finally attend an evening show at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on March 30.
“It’s very impressive. I can only imagine how many hours of practice they went into, but it’s a pleasure to watch. The ladies with their sleeves and the way they move—it’s so graceful and so coordinated. It’s been a pleasure to watch the show.”
According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.
“The stories were very interesting. It’s a little bit of folklore, but it gives you also insight of how this whole dance originated,” she said.
“It’s also very impressive how the dancers are able to express the emotions through the movements of their bodies. That emotion of the village boy and the fairy that can only see each other once a year—that was very impressive. Very moving, absolutely.”
“I think in this whole show, is human determination. Human determination to succeed, to pursue their dreams. That’s the values that I see. Honestly, for all the dancers, it was determination to perform at that level. Hours and hours and years of training.”
“I actually feel that we’re all kind of under one creator. I think we just have human divisions and then the planet. And I think divine guidance was here today for me to come and watch the show,” she said. “There is always something bigger than us.”
Lastly, Ms. Vasina urges everyone to see Shen Yun for themselves. “All my friends have seen it. I’m actually the last of all my friends to see it, but I highly recommend the show to anybody,” she said.
