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BERLIN—Two Berlin artists gleaned numerous inspirational ideas from the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour presentation held in Berlin on March 23.
They were in an appreciative audience that showered Shen Yun with frequent applause and paid a great tribute at the end when the packed house called for another curtain.
The well-known artist and chanson singer, Ms. Venus, learned about the show from a poster promoting the show in the renowned Friedrichstadpalast, one of the largest theaters in the world.
She and her friend, make-up artist Ms. Bolick, were surprised and delighted by the world-class show.
"I am enjoying this show tremendously and find it quite interesting. I have never seen anything like it. It was not only changing in character throughout the show, but also highly inspirational. In my opinion, the show presents a high artistic level—one cannot deny this. It was a great evening," said Ms. Venus.
Her friend, Ms. Bolick, also shared her thoughts. "My favorite was the fan dance [Welcoming Spring]. Quick steps, brisk movements, and gorgeously costumed dancers are a welcome sight after a long, harsh winter, in the celebratory dance ushering in the new season.
For me, this was a very interesting performance. I watched everything very closely," said Ms. Bolick.
"I found especially interesting the subtle hand movements and also how the ladies moved their feet. In the West, the ladies always stretch their legs, very taut. The Chinese dancers walk is totally different, very unusual. Sometimes they walk on their heels, and sometimes they glide over the floor. This was very interesting to see, and I was very impressed by this," Ms. Bolick mused.
The two friends were also surprised to hear and see a live orchestra—a unique combination of Western and Chinese compositions. Westerners in the audience, used to the tones of Western orchestras, were enchanted by the original scores "a spectrum of tones that perfectly matched the rich choreography" of the dance at hand, Ms. Venus said.
The more she listened, the music was "in perfect harmony with the backdrops." She noticed the backdrops show deities descending from the heavens and suddenly appearing on stage. "This idea is fantastic—amazing."
She said, the dances Dignity and Compassion and Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution, depicting the ancient Falun Gong meditation practice, touched her deeply.
"I liked very much the spiritual message that was sent out by these scenes, as well as the songs.
"It was so beneficial that many songs that were sung during the program were translated into German and shown next to the Chinese on the backdrop.
"The computer-generated backdrop—the gorgeous colors and the picturesque surroundings—framed the [dances] perfectly and supported every little bit of the show and left a deep impression on the audience."
As an actress, Ms. Venus believed the characters depicted in dance dances, such as in the program The Monkey King Triumphs, were "very persuasive in their form.
"A scene, where a given story is told through dance, was much more interesting than it would have been just a dance with no story behind it, which only presents beautiful figures."
A kaleidoscope of color washes across the stage as dancers portray China's ancient legends and the courageous stories of China today, and its vast region of ethnic and folk traditions provides an array of material from which to glean.
"I have never seen such a fan, how it hangs down and then becomes a flower. It [Shen Yun] was so varied, so surprising how in a new movement the dancers hands developed into something else," Ms. Venus said.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
