NEW YORK—In a sold out performance, Shen Yun Performing Arts wowed audience members at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in New York on Friday night.
John Coleman, a financial advisor, attended the performance on Friday, and had nothing but good things to say.
“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s unique. And it’s not something you’re going to see on TV or in a movie,” he said.
The main medium of expression used by the performers is classical Chinese dance, but there are also other aspects, including a visual backdrop, elaborate costumes, and a unique orchestra to round out the performance, according to the company’s website.
“It’s a combination of things, like the music and the dance,” Mr. Coleman said. “Very artistic when done together. And you can see the talent in all these people. There’s a lot of passion coming out of it.”
Classical Chinese dance is one of the most precise and comprehensive systems of dance in the world, according to Shen Yun. The dance is highly expressive but requires extensive training to master it.
“When you put that all together, it’s really kind of spectacular,” Mr. Coleman said.
Mr. Coleman’s friend, Lily Benjamin, who works in the organizational development industry, called the show “fantastic,” adding that Shen Yun is “very impressive of how, through art, they tell us a story of their culture.”
China’s cultural values and tradition were mostly destroyed after six decades of communist rule and particularly during the Cultural Revolution that lasted from 1966 to 1976. Shen Yun says that it is seeking to revive this culture.
“It’s really fantastic. I think it’s very inspiring and makes me more curious to learn more about their culture,” Ms. Benjamin said.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was formed in 2006 and has toured in well over 100 cities around the world. However, it cannot be shown in China, according to the company’s website.
Reporting by Joshua Philipp and Jack Phillips.
New York-based Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company will perform at New York’s Lincoln Center through Jan. 15.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
