HAMILTON, Canada—Paul Miller, the New Democrat MPP representing Hamilton East—Stoney Creek in the provincial legislature, ran out of words to describe his experience of Shen Yun Performing Arts after seeing the show at Hamilton Place Theatre, on Tuesday.
“The dancing is superb. Very good,” said Mr. Miller, elected in 2007 and currently a critic for several portfolios for the NDP.
“This is my third time to see the show. I saw it in Toronto and in Hamilton twice.”
“It’s beautiful to watch, it makes you feel good.”
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies that tour the world each year on a mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture rooted in values such as benevolence, courage, propriety, filial piety, and reverence for the divine.
“It teaches a lot about Chinese culture,” said Mr. Miller. “It’s very beautiful.”
He said he enjoyed the flips and tumbling techniques of classical Chinese dance, highly technical movements that were later adopted into gymnastics and acrobatics.
“The dancers are very versatile.”
Mr. Miller also appreciated Shen Yun’s digital backdrops, animated projections that provide diverse settings for the dancers and vocal soloists.
“The scenes are really excellent and I always enjoy it when I come to watch it,” said Mr. Miller.
“They are spectacular and they certainly use a broad spectrum of different types of colours for different scenes and it melds with the dancers and the background.”
“It’s a little close to my heart because my middle daughter, who is not with me here tonight but she was here last year, she spent some time in Taiwan in the north of Taipei.”
Shen Yun draws on China’s rich history, portraying legendary figures and stories in mini drama pieces. Among the dances in this year’s tour is Mu Guiying Commands The Troops, a beloved story from Chinese history about female general who leads an army to defeat the invaders after her husband dies in battle.
“I’m kind of partial to the drums and the military scenes. I’m a bit of a historian,” said Mr. Miller.
He highlighted his enjoyment of the Lotus Leaves dance.
“The actual fans that they used, they looked like a lotus flower, which was very unique. I find that the props are very different and very creative and I really enjoy that.”
In Lotus Leaves, female dancers twirl full-circle fans that sway like lily pads.
“It’s very good. It’s wonderful to see, I would recommend it to anyone,” Mr. Miller said. “It gives you a different perspective about China, Taiwan, and the thousands of years of dance and culture that have been brought to life by these performers, who I might add are excellent dancers.”
“It’s remarkable,” he added, noting that the show is new every year and that the creative mix keeps him coming back.
Shen Yun tours the world performing classical Chinese dance as well as ethnic dances and folk dances. Three companies, each with its own orchestra, tour with virtuoso singers and an animated digital backdrop that expand the stage into stunning settings and for some pieces into heavenly realms.
With reporting by NTD Television and Matthew Little
Following its two-show run in Hamilton, Shen Yun’s International Company will proceed to Montreal for five shows from Jan. 5 to 8.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
