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PARIS—Francoise Thalheimer, attorney-at-law, elevated to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2009, attended the premiere showing of Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company on Friday, March 1, at Le Palais Des Congres.
Ms. Thalheimer saw the unique classical Chinese dance and music presentation by the New York-based company with Muriel Franklin who worked in the perfume industry.
"I learned a lot about this ancient civilization, and of the different regions in China. The special changes in the different numbers were very interesting for the French, I knew a little but not that much," she said.
Accustomed to the Paris Opera for over 30 years, Ms. Thalheimer praised the ground-breaking music of the Shen Yun Orchestra’s fusion of ancient Eastern and modern Western music.
"The orchestra's mix with Chinese instruments was very interesting,” she said, thrilled to have discovered the haunting melodic tones of the erhu, the ancient two-stringed bow instrument.
“The woman played beautifully and the piano accompanist was remarkable. The singers were excellent. Everything was so good," she added.
About the dancers, Ms. Thalheimer was delighted by the technical quality of execution. "They [the dancers] have superior techniques … It's a sight to behold.”
Classical Chinese dance has a vast training system, and is a dance form still mostly new to the West, the Shen Yun website reports. You could say it carries the essence of Chinese cultural expression in its movements, postures, and aesthetics. In its early years, it was passed down primarily in the imperial court and as part of ancient theater.
For Muriel Franklin, the show was "quite varied with beautiful costumes and beautiful staging. Everything is perfect," she said. "The male dancers were excellent, the female dancers have a lot of feminine charm and grace, it was a good idea to alternate the two. I had a great time."
Reporting by Hanna Szmytko.
Shen Yun will perform in Palais des Congrès of Paris, March 12-13, and onto Lyon from March 18-20. After visiting Merignac, March 22, Shen Yun will leave France and head to Dublin where they will perform March 26-27. Shen Yun will then stay in Brussels from March 29 until April 3. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
