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PHOENIX—Shen Yun Performing Arts grabbed the interest of a student actor who jumped at the chance to attend opening night at ASU Gammage Theater, Friday, March 27.
Student actor, Mr. Eftimeo, found the show went beyond his expectations. He knew very little about the show from what he had seen on TV and heard from word of mouth.
"I have only heard about it, and I’ve seen stuff on the TV about it, but nothing quite like this. This is very exciting and new to me. I was really excited that I was coming to Gammage [Theater], and so I jumped at the chance to come and see them," he said.
Mr. Eftimeo has chosen theater as his major and dance as his minor. Being able to see such a high-caliber performance as Shen Yun was very welcome.
"It’s the best of both worlds for me. I get to see people perform and dance.
"Shen Yun gave me a great understanding of real Chinese traditional culture, and it’s great to see it expressed through dance. It’s great to see how you can learn so much about it just through dance and music.
"I like the show because it’s able to tell a story and still provide a great dance, and the music really is a great accompaniment to it. I also love the music in it's own right. It is so calming and serene, and when there is added drama to the piece, I think it really goes well and it provides a great sense of what the dance is trying to show," he said.
Mr. Eftimeo was in the foyer during the interlude and was eager to return to his seat. "I'm so excited.
"Oh, I love the show. It’s so fun and exciting. My favorite dance so far would be Dance of the Yi. I just love the atmosphere of it—the elaborate costumes."
The Yi are an ethnic group in southern China who are famous for music and dance. Colorful silk skirts are an integral part of the choreography of the dance.
"It was a lot of fun, and I liked seeing all the precision of the dances and the different styles of dances," said Mr. Eftimeo.
Chani Blue also contributed to the report.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
