Ms. Callendar was struck by the stage presence and grace exuded by the female dancers.
DENVER, Colorado—Medical company owner Kathleen Callendar found herself amid epic battles, celestial paradises, and ancient dynasties on Sunday, Feb. 24, as she took in Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Buell Theater in Denver, Colo.
Ms. Callendar is the founder of PharmaJet, Inc., a medical device company that was one of the first to offer needle-free injection technology. She attended the Sunday Shen Yun performance, and she said that she loved it.
“The costumes and the music are beautiful, the dancing is superb,” she said, adding that the performers were flawless.
“I marvel at how they are so precise and how hard they practice to be so perfect. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
Ms. Callendar was struck by the stage presence and grace exuded by the female dancers.
“They almost float across the stage,” she said. “In their preciseness and their silk dresses, they swirl around; they’re like little fairies that fly across the stage.”
She also enjoyed the contrast of the male dancers and their masculine power, saying they captured the essence of traditional Chinese gender roles.
“It gives an insight into the people, of their spirituality and the gentleness of the women, but then also the warriors, the men,” she said. “There’s always war and then there’s the balance of the other side, of the peacefulness and the beauty—it’s lovely, wonderful.”
New York-based Shen Yun is a world-renowned classical Chinese dance and music company, with the mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture through the performing arts.
Ms. Callendar was impressed with the use of technology in Shen Yun’s digitally animated backdrops, which project scenes from China’s multifaceted regions and dynasties, while adding context to each story-based dance.
“The backdrops are beautiful,” she said. “Its stunning because they give you a picture of ancient China; they help us visualize it. It’s lovely.”
The coordination between the dancers, the backdrop, and orchestra was perfect, she said. According to the Shen Yun website, the orchestra incorporates traditional Chinese instruments and features all-original compositions.
“I like the music and the sound of the orchestra—magnificent,” she said. “It was very precise; they work very hard to make sure that it’s effortless, together—wonderful.”
Shen Yun includes three companies that travel the world simultaneously, performing in about 100 cities that span across 20 countries each season.
“I marvel at how [Shen Yun] can manage so many people, so many beautiful costumes, and be on the road continuously,” said Ms. Callendar, adding she highly recommends the show.
“It’s very worthwhile seeing and to understand more of the Chinese culture, because we Americans don’t study that back in history,” she said. “Especially [for] our young people, I think it’s good to see that.”
Reporting by Gary Wang and Justina Wheale.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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