NEW YORK—”I found out the really vast history of 5,000 years,” said media instructor and filmmaker, Yoram Savion. “I found out about different mystical deities, different times of the Chinese Empire, and Chinese history.”
Mr. Savion attended the sold out opening night of Shen Yun Performing Arts at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center on Wednesday evening, the first of a five show run. It ended with a standing ovation and three curtain calls, and an encore by the last vocalist.
“It’s very nice to learn about historic Chinese culture,” said Mr. Savion.
Classical Chinese dance is “the heart” of Shen Yun performances, says its website. The dance form is considered both one of the most comprehensive systems in the world and one of the hardest to master.
Mr. Savion found another aspect of the show, and a Shen Yun trademark, “very impressive, very colorful.” These are the handcrafted costumes, including “imperial dragon robes … the warrior’s helmet and armor … [and] ethnic attire of the Manchurian, Tibetan, Dai, Mongol, and Uyghur ethnic groups,” according to the company’s website.
His companion Nicole Mercado, who started dancing at age seven, spent 10 years in performance and competition before becoming a teacher of salsa and Latin ballroom dancing. Currently she is a specialFX makeup artist.
Ms. Mercado said she loved the costumes. “I heard that everything was hand made and they’re really traditional,” she said.
Besides the beautiful colors and intricate headpieces, she felt the dancing was amazing, and overall, she loved the performance.
Mr. Savion pointed out the global aspect of Shen Yun, saying that he would tell friends all over the world to go.
“There are shows all over the world: France, New York, Japan, anywhere you are,” he said. “I would encourage everybody to see it.”
The unique mission of New York-based Shen Yun is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture, which has a deep spiritual core of principles such as benevolence, wisdom, and sincerity, as well as a reverence for the gods and the heavens. This culture was nearly destroyed by six decades of rule by the communist regime in China.
Reporting by NTD Television 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.
