SEATTLE—“It was magnetic and effervescent. It was brilliant!” Conner Smith said after watching Shen Yun at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall with Jennifer Anderson on April 5. “It has brilliant colors, brilliant movement, brilliant music, good storytelling, and a little bit of comedy in there too. It’s just great to be exposed to different aspects of folk culture from around the world.” Mr. Smith said.
Ms. Anderson, a small business owner who is also a musician and a dancer, said that Shen Yun is “art in motion.” She said, “It was amazing, the visuals, the music, it was art to stimulate every sense.”
Ms. Anderson added, “The live orchestra was wonderful. The two-string instrument was incredible. I didn’t know that was the instrument that made that sound. That was great to learn.”
As for Shen Yun’s mission to revive the traditions, Mr. Smith said, “You can’t go forward without remembering the past. I think that’s very important. Trying to demolish the past or hide it away is never good.”
Mr. Smith said, “I think [spirituality] is pretty important in this day and age. There’s a lot of distancing from the natural world and from the wisdom of our ancestors. You can’t ditch it for strict atheism or praising of common ideals or everyday kind of thought that doesn’t resonate through time.”
