DENVER—IT architect Ken Gebhart and his sister Karina, a physician assistant, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second show at the Buell Theatre on April 4. They enjoyed every minute of the evening.
“Very good. Really cool. It surprised me with the interactive graphics and everything else,” he said.
“The interaction that they have where they transition from on stage [to] on screen. That’s very innovative.”
According to its website, Shen Yun’s patented 3D
digital technology works together with the performers to “extend the stage to infinite realms” and brings to its audience “storytelling without limits.”
Mr. Gebhart, who was trained as a Chinese linguist in the US Army, found Shen Yun’s portrayal of traditional Chinese culture “very fascinating.”
He especially enjoyed the comedic scene taken from the classic novel “Journey to the West” where the Tang Monk and his disciples—the Monkey King and
Pigsy—embark on a quest for sacred scriptures.
They “did very, very well with that … I can relate with the Monkey King. That’s a wise journey, that’s definitely,” he added. “The dancing was fantastic.”
Shen Yun is the world’s top
classical Chinese dance and music company. Presenting a brand-new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.
In the decades since the communist regime seized power, Chinese culture was forced to the brink of extinction. The New York-based artists are now seeking to
revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and showcase to the world the beauty of China before communism.
Reflecting on the story-dance piece portraying the Chinese Communist Party’s
ongoing persecution of the people of faith, Mr. Gebhart remarked, “It’s good to hear about what’s going on and [raise] awareness of that.”
Americans should learn about this because “it’s something that isn’t publicized very much within the American public. It tends to get whitewashed. So, I think that’s a good story to be able to tell people,” he added.
“People have a tendency not to realize the freedom that they have until it’s gone, unfortunately.”
Reporting by Sonia Wu and Jennifer Tseng.
