ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Independent film producer Brandy Jones took her boyfriend on a surprise trip down to San Diego to catch Shen Yun Performing Arts’ Saturday evening, Jan. 21, performance at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, and they both thought it was “amazing.”
“The performance was amazing. The way [they] brought the background and the media, and the animation and the graphics, it really pulled together a modern and classic way of doing performance. So it was really great, really, really great,” said Ms. Jones, who as a producer says she works on entertaining, socially responsible media.
New York-based Shen Yun brings to today’s world 5,000 years of Chinese culture, from the very beginning to the present day, using the timeless art of classical Chinese dance and music, while employing sophisticated animated digital backdrops to bring each scene to vivid life.
“I like how the show combined the modern issues that are going on today in China and bringing it out to the forefront right now, so we have an idea of what’s going on and have more awareness of it,” said Ms. Jones, referring to parts of the performance that present scenes from present-day China, specifically the human rights situation with regard to Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong), a spiritual practice that has been persecuted since 1999.
“It’s important to bring culture in all different areas of the world, and when I read the background of this performing arts company, how they can’t perform in China … it’s important to bring that message here in America and all over the world—I thought that was really important,” she said.
Because Shen Yun presents authentic Chinese culture, it is not allowed in mainland China, where the current regime has spent decades trying to destroy China’s ancient values and teachings.
“Keeping this way of delivering a message in art should stay alive, and shouldn’t go anywhere, and any type of funding and any type of awareness is great to keep this kind of culture alive,” she said.
And as to whether it was worth the two-hour drive from Los Angeles, Ms. Jones happily replied, with a laugh, “Yes, definitely. And it’s worth the drive back too!”
Accompanying Ms. Jones was Brian Breth, a consultant and entrepreneur, who has studied acting and dance in college, and performed for 15 years.
“I loved it, I thought it was amazing,” he said. “I have a performance background and it was really lovely the way it was choreographed.”
Many of the dances in Shen Yun utilize classical Chinese dance, a complete system of dance embodying traditional aesthetic principles.
But it was more than just the dance and choreography that impressed him.
He said that there were also “some themes that were relevant to today that I think people can connect with, that I think were really important to have in there, and was actually a pleasant surprise for me to see,” he said about the dances depicting suppression of freedom of belief in present-day China.
He said, thinking about it from a performer’s point view, that “it was impeccable. I think the costumes were gorgeous, they were really well done. … And I think the talent that was on stage and in the orchestra pit was just amazing.”
Mr. Breth concluded by thanking everyone involved. “I just want to acknowledge the whole company, from the composers to the dancers, the musicians, everybody who was involved, for putting on the work that they’re putting on because I’m really clear that this would not be happening in China, and for them to take that culture and take that history and take what’s relevant, going on today and bringing it here, actually bringing it to the world, I think it’s really important.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Ben Bendig.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will next perform in Phoenix, Arizona, at the ASU Gammage, Jan. 27-29.
For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
