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“It’s beautiful and excellent, it’s filled with spiritual things, comic things, history,” he said. “It gives a picture of what’s really beautiful around you, you don’t notice it and then it comes—even like the divine being brought right here in a show and given to the people in such a way. It’s wonderful and makes you think.”
Shen Yun, based in New York, aims to revive China’s true divinely-inspired heritage through classical Chinese dance and music, portrayed in stories adapted from ancient Chinese legends, folk traditions and contemporary issues.
From the opening to the closing curtain, Father Gatt found the storylines easy to follow.
“Oh, very easy. At the beginning the creation, [When the Kings followed the Creator to Earth], and everything like that up to the persecution in the present time, [The Opening of Heaven's Gates],” Father Gatt said. “There is something that redeems you again and makes you go ahead. You know, it’s beautiful, the dancing itself and the way they are dressed so nicely, so rich.”
Trademarks of Shen Yun include exquisite costumes and intricately decorated headdresses. The spectrum of colours perfectly match hi-tech animated background scenes that interact between screen and stage, backed by a full orchestra playing a fusion of ancient Eastern and modern Western original composition.
One dance, based on the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong, an ancient spiritual practice banned by China’s communist regime, Our Story, drew a comment from Father Gatt.
“One wants to be free, express yourself and right away you find out that there is a limit … that one of the classroom [Our Story] is very impressive, very impressive."
"Well, that is reality, and brought to the people in such a beautiful, simple message. It says you have to respect people and let them grow, trust them to grow, not just give them something and stop them … let them grow. It will help them to discover and trust—it’s happening but it’s beautiful, the way it has been performed and given to the people. “
Recalling the creation depicted in the first scene, Father Gatt said, “That’s good, because everyone, every religion has its own way of imagining what really happened. Everything comes from goodness and when something goes wrong we try to get back to that goodness again.”
He said all the dances held a message that he could relate to. “I loved the one with the monks, [Little Mischievous Monks. You know, that’s the human aspect of everything in life. It’s a very serious thing, all this praying, but then there is human aspect and you have to be yourself and give a bit to your human spirit.”
From the perspective of a Catholic priest on different spiritual beliefs, Father Gatt said, “I think it’s the same, there is goodness and you want to reach it. You fail a bit and you want to go back and there is someone to inspire you to go back again. That’s something beautiful and is in every [spiritual belief].”
Of the show itself, Father Gatt said, “I love it, it’s beautiful. A nice occasion to come and I did, didn’t want to miss it.
“We already put it on the newsletter and many are coming … they know there is something to learn and something to share with other religions and other cultures.”
Reporting by De Ming and Raiatea Tahana-Reese
Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre through to Feb. 23. Next stop is Melbourne, March 1-6. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
