(Clearwisdom.net)

Retired Business Owner Touched by Shen Yun

SACRAMENTO, California--Shen Yun Performing Arts completed its first of two shows at the Sacramento Community Center Theater Monday evening as part of its 2010 World Tour. The New York-based music and dance company has already held performances in San Francisco and San Jose.

The audience was loud and enthusiastic and called for an encore after acclaimed tenor Hong Ming sang.

Mr. Hudson, a retired owner of a water purification company, was among the audience this evening, and he was touched by the show. He particularly enjoyed the dance entitled Nothing Can Block the Divine Path, which is about a mother and daughter who are persecuted by the communist regime in China because they practice a peaceful spiritual discipline called Falun Dafa.

"I liked the way that was handled--very well. Made me cry actually. The message was carried through," Mr. Hudson said.

Mr. Hudson, a retired owner of a water purification company.

In addition to vibrant dances, stunning solo performances, and a live orchestra that combines traditional Chinese and classical Western instruments, Shen Yun produces a larger-than-life, digital backdrop with images and colors that compliment each separate performance. Mr. Hudson was impressed.

"I thought it was very good. The background--I don't know how ... [they] did it. [It] looked so real. It looked so alive and three dimensional," he said.

Mr. Hudson added that the show was great and that he plans on coming again.

Publisher and CEO: "The show is absolutely phenomenal"

One of the audience members at the Sacramento show said he got an appreciation for the tremendous tradition in the Chinese culture over so many centuries. Mr. Von Kaenel is publisher of a weekly Sacramento newspaper, as well as its president and CEO. He shared his thoughts during the intermission on Monday night.

"The show is absolutely phenomenal! I mean the dancing is so innovative, and the music is really good. The scene with that style, the way they use the veils ... it just blows me away!"

Mr. Von Kaenel is publisher of a weekly Sacramento newspaper.

"[I've] never seen anything quite like it," he said.

The Shen Yun Orchestra includes traditional Chinese instruments along with classical Western instruments. Mr. Von Kaenel felt that the music was really interesting and innovative. He explained that it "has a strong complex of style that's really fun to hear." It was something he hadn't heard before and he really enjoyed.

He also found the animated backdrop exciting and innovative, and with the lyrics shown on the screen it helped him follow. "I don't ever think I've seen that used in a show like this before, it works phenomenally well," he said.

He thought the themes, coming from traditional Chinese culture, were unique and it impressed him that they reached back such a long way.

Mr. Von Kaenel's final remark was that the singing, dance, costumes, music, scenery, all went in to a unique combination, and to have that kind of very structured classical dance ... was really neat and worked very well. The whole show was "very strong visually."
Sacramento Area Arts Teacher: "A lot of heart" in Shen Yun

"The costumes were amazing. The dancing was beautiful, it was just gorgeous. The flowing costumes were fabulous. And I just thought they did a really wonderful job," said Stephanie Langley, a fine arts teacher from Rancho Cordova who drove with her mother to tonight's performance.

Having recently toured China with her husband, who sings with the Sacramento Choral Society, Ms. Langley was happy to see traditional Chinese culture right here in Sacramento.

Ms. Langley after watching Shen Yun's Sacremento performance

"The colors, the flowing movement of the costumes. The way they actually looked like flowing water. Oh, they looked like clouds and they floated in the air. ... just so amazing. And even the men's costumes were doing some of the same things, they were like flying through the air. It's just incredible!" said Ms. Langley after the show.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts also presents solo singers, including soprano Pi-ju Huang, baritone Qu Yue and tenor Hong Ming. Ms. Langley thought the singers were both powerful and emotional, saying: "The operatic voices were gorgeous. You could tell that they were really well trained. And it was powerful, it was very, very emotional and strong and ... I felt there was a lot of passion in it."

Ms. Langley was moved by the "real heart" that comes out through Shen Yun.

"There was a lot of heart in it, and a lot about freedom of soul and freedom of the individual, that's what spoke to me. So I got a feeling that there is a real heart in this ... [dance company]," concluded Ms. Langley.

She looks forward to bringing her husband to next year's performance.

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27869/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27868/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27864/