SPOKANE, Wash.—Heather White, a music instructor, chose music because dance was not a feasible option for her. She shared her admiration for the dancers of Shen Yun Performing Arts because of their great athletic ability.
“It’s always been my fantasy to be a dancer. I couldn’t dance because of my legs, so I took piano instead. It’s very beautiful and I love the combination of the classical dance with the traditional Chinese dance as well. It’s very beautiful,” said Ms. White.
Shen Yun is based in New York and its artists are trained in
classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“For me, I always love dance because of the physical prowess that it takes. I have a respect for those that challenge themselves physically like that, so I appreciate the physical plus the artistic combination within
dance,” she said.
Shen Yun uses its art to bring stories of Chinese civilization to life. One of the striking
stories that Shen Yun portrays is that of creation. Ms. White saw the parallels between Shen Yun and her Catholic faith.
“We’re Catholic, so we’re just talking about the parallels of the Creator. It’s interesting that
this goes back thousands of years, whereas Christ was only here what we think was two thousand years ago, so the parallels between those stories makes me wonder a little bit about time,” Ms. White said.
Shen Yun’s live
orchestra is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble. Some instruments that may be foreign to audiences include the pipa, erhu, and various percussion instruments.
“It’s great. I can hear a lot of instruments, and then I hear some other things that sound Asian obviously, but I have not been down to see the orchestra, so I’m not sure what that is. It’s very good,” she said.
Ms. White shared her appreciation for Shen Yun coming to Spokane and sharing the goodness of Chinese culture with the audience.
I miss having the theatre to come to and I really appreciate this
production. It’s a good education, too, from the perspective of the Chinese tradition and what has happened.
Reporting by Lily Yu and Maria Han.
