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PASADENA, Calif.—Jill Johnson, formerly a professional singer, now retired, came to see Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company performing at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday afternoon, April 30.
Ms. Johnson said, “I loved it. I've seen it before, and I have enjoyed it very much each time. This is my fourth time.”
Shen Yun presents an all-new program each year, drawing on a treasure trove of over 50 ethnicities and 5,000 years of China’s history. Many patrons come each year to enjoy a new experience in traditional Chinese culture.
Ms. Johnson said, “It's beautiful. The scenery is beautiful. The costumes are wonderful, and of course, the dancers are marvelous. I enjoyed every bit of it.
"I was a soprano many years ago. [Shen Yun] has a wonderful soprano. All the singers were very, very, good, but the soprano was wonderful."
Shen Yun also has its own unique orchestra. The Shen Yun New York Company Orchestra brings traditional Chinese and Western instruments together to create a harmonious sound.
"I happen to like Chinese music, and it's a good combination," Ms. Johnson said about the orchestra.
Two Nuns 'Message was very powerful'
Two nuns were also in the audience on Saturday afternoon. “We really enjoyed it very much. We were touched deeply by the spiritual nature of it. We found it very uplifting,” said one of the nuns.
“The dancers’ technique was excellent, but they brought something so spiritual in the way they worked together and what they brought to the music.
“There was no ego. It was just a sense of comradely and teamwork, and that all blended with the music and the beautiful, beautiful costumes and the props.
"Everything came together to have a very complete whole, thus the audience felt uplifted.”
They were moved when they learned that Shen Yun is not able to perform in China, due to the continued suppression of traditional arts and freedom of expression under the authoritarian regime. “I think I had more of a sense of sorrow that we could see this [performance] here and that people in China could not have the same benefit.”
The two of them also enjoyed the Shen Yun Orchestra. "The way it was blended together. Just magnificent,” one could hear them say. “We love that there was a female conductor. She brought a lot of heart.”
The solo vocalists also stirred them, saying they were “very beautiful for us. Very powerful to hear that. Their message was very powerful.”
Reporting by NTD Television and Robin Kemker.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts will perform in Escondido, San Diego, at the California Center for the Arts, May 3-5, and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, May 6-8. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
