VANCOUVER, Canada—Leagh Barkley, a wine sommelier, saw Shen Yun for the first time at its March 24 matinee performance at Queen Elizabeth Theatre and thought the experience was “absolutely spectacular.”
“I love the wide range of styles. We were able to see and experience Chinese traditional dance through whimsical and playful scenes as well as very serious themes too,” Mr. Barkley said.
New York-based
Shen Yun Performing Arts, established in 2006, is the world’s top classical Chinese dance and music company.
The
mission of these artists is to revive China’s five-millennia-old divinely inspired culture that has been all but destroyed by decades of communist rule.
For its 2024 touring season, Shen Yun’s eight equally sized companies are scheduled to perform in over 200 cities worldwide.
Mr. Barkley loved the live orchestra and the traditional
Chinese melodies that accompanied the dances.
“Being able to feel the energy and the vibration of the live music coming from the pit, through the stage, and into the audience—it connects us in a more personal and intimate way with the dancers. The sound coming from the orchestra pit really resonates with us—in the audience,” he explained.
“It brings a whole new level of meaning to the performance.”
Using classical Western orchestration as the foundation, the company’s original compositions highlight traditional Chinese
instruments—such as the two-stringed erhu and the pipa, an ancient Chinese lute—bringing to its audience the best of both worlds.
Reflecting on Shen Yun’s story-based dance depicting the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of the people of faith in present-day China, Mr. Barkley said he was shocked.
“I didn’t realize that there was still so much oppression happening with regard to
spiritual beliefs in China. That was a very emotional piece—it felt like that was something we would have seen 50 or maybe 100 years ago, but it’s still happening today. That’s heartbreaking,” he said.
“We’re very lucky to have the opportunity to share this culture here and elsewhere in the world. It can’t be shared in China right now, but we’re able to spread the word and share it together here in Vancouver. That’s very special.”
Due to the artists’ focus on reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth of events under communist rule, Shen Yun is currently banned by the
ruling regime from performing in China.
Last but not least, Mr. Barkley would like to thank the performers for “the presentation and for the opportunity [to] experience your culture in Vancouver. Well done.”
Shen Yun can be expected to return each year with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions. So, no matter how many times the audience returns, every experience is guaranteed to be new.
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
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