SAN FRANCISCO—As a celebrated scholar, Professor Gerold Grodsky has traveled all over the world. But seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House on Thursday, Jan 5. was something unique unlike anything he had seen before.
“I think it’s fabulous—just fantastic. The pace is very fast. The costumes are spectacular,” said Mr. Grodsky. “It’s new and novel.”
Mr. Grodsky is professor of biochemistry, biophysics and medicine at UCSF. He has served as Research Chairman of the Advisory Board to the Secretary of Health, has held positions on the editorial boards of numerous journals, and has been an invited lecturer in over 25 countries.
“The combination of the beautiful costumes and the music is unique,” Mr. Grodsky said, speaking of the original nature of the Shen Yun production. It was unlike anything he had seen before, in China or elsewhere, he said. He also expressed surprise that such a “highly professional” Chinese performing arts group could be based in the U.S.
New York-based Shen Yun on its website describes its mission as “reviving 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture”—a culture that has been deliberately destroyed during 60 years of Communist rule in China. Since it’s founding in 2006, Shen Yun has been a cornerstone of the revival of traditional Chinese culture.
“For us it’s been a very enlightening and a very exciting experience,” he said, referring to himself and Roberta Sherman, with whom he attended the performance.
Roberta Sherman, herself a former dancer, described Shen Yun as spectacular, saying she liked everything about it. “Technically, the discipline is awesome. It’s amazing, the choreography is great.”
“It’s truly a group effort. More than any other kind of dance I’ve ever seen. They have to work so hard to be so in sync. That’s really amazing,” Ms. Sherman said. She also thought the complicated tumbling techniques, displayed particularly by the male dancers, were phenomenal.
They both also mentioned enjoying the Shen Yun orchestra, which is unlike any other in that it seamlessly blends classical Chinese instruments with Western ones to create a fresh sound.
“It’s exciting and it’s something that everybody can enjoy,” said Mr. Grodsky, referring to the Shen Yun orchestra.
Another distinctive feature of Shen Yun is its state-of-the-art digital backdrops that depict spectacular landscapes reflecting China’s rich diversity in geography, society, and dynasties.
“I think the backdrops provide scenery that fits with the dancing. It’s very clever the way the people are part of the film and then suddenly show up on the stage,” said Mr. Grodsky.
The often-animated backdrops are designed to interact seamlessly with the dancers, allowing them to move seemingly in and out of the scenes. The backdrops “complement and synchronize all aspects of the performance: the characters, color of the costumes, specific dance movements, props, lighting, the story being told … and special audio effects,” according to Shen Yun’s website.
Reporting by Gary Wang and Jasper Fakkert.
Shen Yun’s New York Company will be in San Francisco until Jan. 8, 2012. New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
