AUSTIN, Texas—Artist Elizabeth Morrow and and her mother, Glenda Morrow, were blown away by the traditional Chinese art forms presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts at a sold out performance at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, April 13.
“We’re here and just blown away by the music. The costumes were breathtaking—[a] character on their own right,” said Ms. Morrow. “So yeah, we were actually looking forward to next year’s performance already—soon as they’re here, we will be here.”
Ms. Morrow noted that the colors and fabrics used by New York-based Shen Yun were coordinated not just to the costumes, but through the props and choreography as well.
“Through the whole performance, I just kept thinking, ‘The fabric is beautiful,'” she said. “It was the most beautiful use of fabric I have ever seen.”
For instance, in An Early Spring, dancers twirl and toss brightly colored handkerchiefs, starting with green and ending with pink, until the stage is full of spinning handkerchiefs that represent early spring blossoms.
“The music was just perfectly composed,” Ms. Morrow added. “You notice the music, but it never interferes with the performance. And it would just add the elements of drama and beauty—just amazing.”
In addition to the Shen Yun Orchestra accompanying each dance, solo vocalists sing original Chinese compositions in the bel canto style with lyric translations projected onto a backdrop.
“Their voices were magnificent. I thought they were beautiful—they were so artistic, and yet very accessible to the masses. I mean, anyone can read it and get something out of it, yet there’s still such beauty to it,” Ms. Morrow explained.
“Just mind-blowing. We’ve never seen anything like that,” she concluded.
Reporting by Lily Setoh and Catherine Yang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
