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| Nathan Mean (L) and Deborah Moore (R) complimented the Shen Yun Orchestra when they attended Shen Yun Performing Arts in Ottawa, on Dec 23. (Courtesy of NTD Television) |
“It was a real treat for us to come out two days before Christmas because we wanted to see something quite different from what we could normally expect to see, and so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves,” said Mr. Mean.
“I would say that this was the cherry topper to a wonderful work week … going into a wonderful holiday period. The colouring, the technical expertise, the music, it all came together as a wonderful gift,” he added.
With the mission of reviving 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, New York-based Shen Yun tours the world with performances of classical Chinese dance as well as folk dances and ethnic dances from China’s diverse regions and peoples.
Traditional Chinese values such as compassion, courage, filial piety, and reverence for the divine are conveyed through an all-new production staged every year.
Mr. Mean applauded the dedication and athleticism of the dancers.
“The feeling is one of perfection, exactitude. For example, many of the movements, instead of being freeform, you could understand they were studied, the bodily movements, the ability to do many of the flips. You had to know that they were in extremely good physical health,” he said.
He complimented the Shen Yun Orchestra for its technical expertise in its combination of classical Western and Chinese traditional instruments.
“I found it did very, very well,” he said.
His wife, Mrs. Moore, added her own praise.
It was her first time to see Shen Yun and she noted how pleased she was with all aspects of the show, from the orchestra to the dances, from the backdrops to the themes.
“The orchestra was wonderful … I really wanted to see the orchestra because they were phenomenal,
As for the dances, “it was amazing, the costumes, the dance was spectacular, … very refreshing, very different,” she said.
“And yet at the same time very delicate, very nuanced, just extremely creative and beautiful. The performers were all spectacular, they looked lovely. The men were very strong, the women were delicate, and yet everybody was very into their performance.”
Mrs. Moore said it was remarkable to see the dancers on the stage, the costumes and storylines coordinated with the stunning digital backdrops that were animated to enhance the effect of many of the pieces.
“They were so beautifully dressed. I really enjoyed the way the backdrop played into the performance as well. It was just something new every minute, very graceful, very beautiful, and yet very powerful as well.”
The mission of Shen Yun is to revive China’s traditional culture through an all-new production of classical Chinese dance and music that tours the globe every year.
“[It’s] especially interesting to have such an ancient culture delivered to us in the West, because we have a tendency to think that Western European culture for example is ancient, and that’s our heritage. And yet you see something so much more ancient, so much more colourful. I think it’s wonderful that the West has the opportunity to see this,” Mrs. Moore said.
She also appreciated the values conveyed by Shen Yun.
“I thought they were very down to earth, common sense values,” she said. “This was very beautiful, very placid message, very peaceful message of preserving the culture and I really appreciated that.”
“It was something that was wondrous. I think it was a celebratory mood. And it came together wonderfully for the season,” Mr. Mean said. “We go home feeling very good about life and I have hope for tomorrow.”
“I would like to see it again next year,” Mrs. Moore added. “It’s beautiful, I think it’s something everybody really should have the opportunity to see.”
With reporting by NTD Television and Matthew Little
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform in Hamilton on Dec. 26-27.
For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
From - http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/shen-yun-on-tour/shen-yun-a-wonderful-christmas-treat-say-director-and-professor-163870.html
