NEW YORK—A standing ovation and three curtain calls brought to a close Shen Yun Performing Arts’ sold out performance on Wednesday evening, the first of a five performance run at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater in New York City.
“It’s lovely,” said Kevin Murphy, a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, “and it’s unique in the sense that it is Chinese culture brought to New York.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun has been on a mission since its inception in 2006, to revive the divinely-inspired Chinese culture that spans 5,000 years, following the destructive campaigns under communist rule in China that nearly saw that culture destroyed, says Shen Yun’s website.
Mr. Murphy previously spent three months in Beijing. He said that Shen Yun presented Chinese culture in an unfiltered environment.
“I did like that [dance piece] on Tiananmen Square,” he said, referring to the dance The Choice. “I thought it was nice [and] touching, and showing that there is a different element to the Chinese thinking. It’s also traditional Chinese culture going back five thousand years. It’s just not embedded by the PRC (People’s Republic of China).”
The Choice explores the battle of good versus evil in a modern Chinese context. A young man becomes a policeman after successfully capturing a thief. Later, the young man arrives at Tienanmen Square, where practitioners of Falun Dafa—a spiritual meditation practice based on truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—are protesting their persecution at the hands of the Chinese state. He is faced with a difficult choice when an old friend jumps in to protect them.
Classical Chinese dance is an art form that goes back thousands of years and is considered both one of the most comprehensive dance systems, and hardest to master, says Shen Yun’s website. Alongside classical Chinese dance and folk and ethnic dance, Shen Yun features a digital backdrop, award winning vocalists, and an orchestra that melds the distinct sounds of classic Chinese instruments, such as the erhu and suona, with Western classical ones.
Mr. Murphy said he appreciated the “sense of the spirit, human spirit,” in the performance.
“I liked the way that it touches on the [contemporary Chinese] scene very gently, but very appropriately, so you do get a sense that it is not a part of the PRC voice. It’s a different voice. And that’s good, you know. So I’m enjoying it!”
The artists of Shen Yun—dancers, vocalists, and musicians—are based outside of China so they “have the ability to freely express themselves and their ancient culture,” says Shen Yun’s website. “Their courage to speak up is an integral part of Shen Yun’s spirit.”
Reporting Gary Du and Zack Stieber.
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.
