SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Transported Me to Another Place and Another Time,’ Says University Professor

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Shen Yun ‘Transported Me to Another Place and Another Time,’ Says University Professor
Professor Jorge Canchola (R) enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the McAllen Performing Arts Center on April 15, 2023. Yeawen Hung/The Epoch Times

McALLEN, Texas—On the evening of April 15, Shen Yun Performing Arts successfully completed its second and final show at the McAllen Performing Arts Center.

Sitting in the audience was Jorge Canchola, a biology professor at the University of Texas. It was his first time attending Shen Yun, and the professor enjoyed every aspect of the performance.
“I liked the costumes, the tenor, the orchestra, the interactive [backdrop]—the way the performers jumped in and out of the screen. All the performers were very synchronized, and [the show] was well presented—everything!” he exclaimed.

According to its website, Shen Yun’s innovative digital technology creates seamless interaction between the backdrop projection and the performers on stage. “By extending the stage to infinite realms,” this patented 3D invention brings to the audience “storytelling without limits.”

Mr. Canchola was especially moved by Shen Yun’s vocalist, who was trained in the traditional bel canto style.

“[The tenor] had a very effortless and powerful voice that came out of his lungs. I wished it was longer,” he said. “The song was very inspirational. It [spoke] about atheism and how it ruined [traditional] culture.”

For Mr. Canchola, though the lyrics were in Chinese, the melody of the song transcended language barriers, and he understood it even without reading the translated text on the backdrop.
The New York-based Shen Yun was established in 2006 by leading Chinese artists seeking to revive China’s 5,000 years of civilization that was destroyed by decades of communist rule.

Through classical Chinese, folk, ethnic, and story-based dances, Shen Yun is showcasing to the world—the glory of China before communism.

Every year, the company can be expected to delight its worldwide audience with a brand-new set of original choreography and musical compositions.

Mr. Canchola said it’s wonderful that Shen Yun is reviving traditional culture.

“I didn’t know [Chinese culture] was so diverse, so very diverse. Music, dance, costumes, and stories—it’s very informative.”

Though Mr. Canchola didn’t know much about Chinese culture, he said Shen Yun’s “emotional and spiritual messages are universal,” and we don’t need to understand everything to appreciate the arts.

“I admire them. [The artists] are an inspiration. It’s beautiful. The work they do transported me to another place and another time. It’s like being taken back in time. I encourage them to keep up the good work and know that they will not be forgotten,” he said.

Reporting by Yeawen Hung and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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