OTTAWA—The Walker family was taken on a journey to ancient China as they enjoyed an evening at the National Arts Centre on Friday night, where Shen Yun Performing Arts wrapped up the first of its stops on its Canadian tour.
“The costumes, the dance, the energy that comes out in the show is excellent,” said Darren Walker, the owner of Ottawa-based IT company Netplicity.
“It really takes you away.”
“I liked the energy, the flow, the dynamic. … It’s alive,” he added.
His wife, Bianca Walker, an executive director of a medical association, agreed.
“The costumes are beautiful. The colours, the visuals, the background and how they’ve incorporated it into the dance. It’s wonderful,” she said
“The choreography, the movements, the fluidity of it, it’s been really nice,” she noted. It was the second Shen Yun performance the family had seen, having come some years prior.
New York-based Shen Yun incorporates stories from ancient Chinese history into dance and song in its mission to revive China’s divinely inspired culture.
“The way they incorporated the narrative with the dance brings the story alive,” said Mr. Walker.
Shen Yun showcases the dance and music of China’s different ethnic peoples including the Tibetans in the Himalayas, the Han, the Manchurians of the Qing dynasty, and the Amei indigenous people of Taiwan.
“[The show] brought me to another time, a time [when it was] more simplistic, more down to earth,” Mr. Walker said.
“It’s powerful,” he added.
The Walkers particularly enjoyed Lotus Leaves, which depicts lotus maidens dancing atop the water. “It was like we were looking at flowers when you were looking at it. It was beautiful,” Mrs. Walker said. “It brought a smile to our son’s face,” Mr. Walker added.
Alongside the dancing numbers, Shen Yun also integrates bel canto vocal soloists, the lyrics of their Chinese songs translated into English and French on the digital backdrops behind them.
“Excellent, very powerful voices,” said Mr. Walker about the baritone, tenor, and sopranos of the evening.
Reporting by Crystal Yin and Justina Reichel.
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform in Hamilton on Dec. 26-27.
