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Lyon is a major center of business in France, holding firm a reputation as the French capital of gastronomy, and is known for its Festival of Lights honoring the Virgin Mary every December 8.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, the ever-growing New York-based company presenting audiences around the globe authentic classical Chinese dance and music, chose the Cite Internationale, where the amphitheater, an impressive semi-circular arena, is open 180° without any partitions between the stage, the hall, and access ways, as its venue.
"The original conception makes it an outstanding place, in the lineage of places such as Berlin's philharmonic or Madison Square Garden" explains the amphitheater manager. The theater has been inspired from gallo-roman amphitheaters, and seems to have anticipated that it would one day welcome a grand show on Chinese ancient legends and heroic figures.
Lyon audience attending the first Shen Yun show, on March 20, came out happy after the refreshingly dynamic and expressive show.
Mr. Jean-Paul Burle, a well-known French theater manager, President of the National Union of Public Theaters and member of the prestigious Moliere academy, gave his professional opinion of Shen Yun and said it is "a beautiful show, well-ordered, with beautiful lights."
He said, "The digital backdrops were well-chosen, so that makes it a grand and nice show … the transitions are smooth, there is a lot of diversity from one scene to the other, and I think the dominating impression is that of the overall picture given by the artists."
For his wife, Mrs. Burle, an ethnic Chinese who spoke with us in Chinese, "the show is wonderful."
"Really, I feel so fortunate. I think that for a Chinese person coming to attend such a show, it is very special. Before each scene, I kept telling my husband that I could 200 percent guarantee that the next one would be top-notch … This does well-represent our traditional Chinese culture, this is therefore really a wonderful thing."
Shen Yun Is 'perfection'
Among many smiling faces at the end of the show, another attendee said Shen Yun was a very pleasant surprise for him.
M. Christofleau, former General Manager of a company that exports tower cranes to China, said, "I was surprised by the music, because I was a little bit worried, telling myself 'oh, Chinese music', but it was in fact quite rejoicing, very nice. I came with friends here who share exactly the same opinion."
He said, "That was beautiful, dances are so harmonious; this is in fact perfection. Everything is perfect."
Lyon will host one more Shen Yun show on March 21, after which the company will continue its European tour, scheduled to end early May after visiting around 10 major European cities.
For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
