MADISON, Wisc.—”One of the things that took my breath away was the very first opening number. I don’t know why it was, but just that opening where you could see everything so clearly: the dancers are very lovely, and it actually brought tears to my eyes. I thought it was that lovely. So I knew it was going to be a good night,” said writer Tom Young, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company at Madison’s Overture Center for the Arts on Tuesday, May 7.
“I enjoyed it very much,” Mr. Young said of the New York based company that brings traditional Chinese dance and music to the world.
Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture that was almost obliterated under years of Chinese communist rule.
“I thought the costumes were fantastic; the dancing’s very good. The orchestra’s wonderful, and I like that panoramic backdrop where the scene would change. So there was always something to keep your interest,” he said.
Mr. Young, who writes novels for young adults, described all the element of Shen Yun in a nutshell. Theatergoers comment on its colorful costumes, synchronized classical Chinese dance, its unique orchestra combining Western and Chinese instruments, and its digitally animated backdrop that seems to bring onscreen elements to life.
“They were all good. They were all very good,” Mr. Young said about the 15 or so dances in the program.
He also enjoyed learning about the culture of China “because I think many of us are not that familiar with it so it does give a familiarization with it, and I enjoyed that aspect,” he said.
Reporting by William Huang and Sharon Kilarski
Shen Yun performs in Madison again Wednesday, May 8, before moving on to Chicago for Mother’s Day weekend, May 10-12.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
