STAMFORD, Conn.—New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has impressed the world’s most discerning theatergoers during its years of international touring since its inception in 2006. Today’s performance at Stamford, Connecticut’s Palace Theatre was no exception.
Peter Kucer, priest and president-rector of Holy Apostles College & Seminary, attended Shen Yun with his father, John Kucer, a former professional violinist who worked at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music.
“It was very beautiful. The technique was flawless,” Peter said on Dec. 26, 2019. Shen Yun performers’ “love of art, devotion, and especially the technique” stood out to him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7fBIUk5ffM
“But their ability to be joyful at all times while dancing, that’s pretty amazing,” Peter said, describing the biggest impression the performance had on him. “The joy in the dance—it’s very uplifting and I feel spiritually nourished.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NijBLiZFoYQ
“It’s very good. The orchestration is very good,” John said. “It’s a combination of Asian and Western type of orchestration. It’s not one way or another, so it takes in the East and West, so to speak.”
“It’s incredible what the human being can do. I wish I could flip through the air the way they do. It’s going against gravity, so to speak. As Peter said, the technique is impeccable, truly impeccable,” John said.
John and Peter agreed that Shen Yun’s spiritual narratives left a deep impression on them.
Shen Yun a Must-See for Retired Project Manager
For Fred Runne, a former project manager, today’s Shen Yun performance was an experience 10 years in the making.
“I’ve been wanting to see this show for many years now, I'd say maybe 10 years, and I just never had the chance,” Runne said. He was determined to see Shen Yun this year, so he attended by himself, despite the fact that he didn’t have anyone to accompany him.
It was a choice he didn’t regret.
“It was a phenomenal performance. It was beyond my expectations. The quality of the dancers was fabulous. The music was wonderful. The costumes were fantastic. So uplifting, colorful,” Runne said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T5ZhDTINDs
The final dance, “Renewal of Heaven and Earth,” especially stood out to Runne, who was moved by its depiction of the Creator and heavenly realms.
“That last act, with the old and the new, was fabulous because that’s life—we’re living in the new but we still respect the old and appreciate what came before. I found it very uplifting. I could feel the energy of the show. It was fabulous.”
“I think part of what proves that was uplifting is that I can talk so much about it, and I feel uplifted just talking about it. It was a wonderful show.”