(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts Company shared its music, dance, and magic with audience members at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angles, California, on July 8-11, 2010.
ABC TV Actor: Shen Yun is a "History Lesson Within the Arts"
Harvey Guillen, an actor on ABC TV's new series Huge
Harvey Guillen, an actor on ABC TV's new series Huge, found Shen Yun to be exhilarating, engaging, and educational. He said he truly loved the show.
"It was great, it was colorful, and it was entertaining. It was a great time. We were all having a blast," said Mr. Guillen.
He marveled at the fact that Shen Yun didn't need even one word to tell its wonderful stories.
"In the dance sets, it was amazing how many stories there were that go back so many hundreds [and thousands] of years," said Mr. Guillen. "I walked away with so much knowledge that I didn't have before."
Mr. Guillen thought the show's presentation of Chinese history "was done so well."
He said that he had been previously unaware of the many different ethnicities within China.
"I was blown away by the fact that many parts of China have their own dialects, their own traditions, and their own wardrobe--I learned a lot of history," said the young actor.
"It was a history lesson within the arts, so it was really fantastic to watch," he enthused.
He advised everyone to "catch this show ... it's just perfection. It is beautifully done, it's just wonderful."
Disney Actor: "Absolutely Epic"
Doug Haley, who plays Walter in Good Luck Charlie on the Disney Channel
Also in the audience was actor Doug Haley, who plays Walter in Good Luck Charlie on the Disney Channel.
"I thought it was beautiful," said the Mr. Haley. "Extremely talented performers. It was a beautiful marriage of song and dance. It was exquisite. It was very colorful, very vibrant. Epic. E-P-I-C."
Mr. Hayley also commented on the beautiful "marriage" of Eastern and Western instruments in Shen Yun's live orchestra.
"You don't notice that you're listening to the French horn and other classical European instruments, and Asian instruments and the gong ... that is, the way they're fused together," he said.
"You don't realize that you're listening to completely different traditional cultures infused into one. So I thought that was really cool how they put that together."
But what really took his breath away, was the erhu solo, a classical Chinese two-stringed instrument.
"I thought that was stunning and breathtaking, and totally had me in awe. That was actually my favorite part, that composition."
After being exposed to China's rich heritage, Mr. Haley was eager to learn more about the culture.
"This is the first traditional Chinese show that I've seen," he explained. "I would have liked to learn more. I feel like I am coming into this show very naive to Chinese culture.
"I did learn a lot about the history, particularly in the end with the scriptures of Buddha and the arrival of the scriptures ['The Buddha's Teachings Spread Far and Wide']."
Mr. Haley continued. "I don't know how you could come here and not be inspired by the dancing and the music, I mean it is absolutely epic.
"I could tell that everyone was extremely well trained. It was beautiful. The way they worked together. The symmetry, the sync of everything. It was really beautiful to take in and to watch."
Commenting on the spiritual aspect of the show, Mr. Haley said, "With the monks, there's definitely a sense of enlightenment and there was one dance number that focused on the point that as human beings, we're always searching for something. What are we looking for? You need faith to find whatever you're looking for. Faith is one of the cornerstones that will help you along your journey ... the show reiterated that point so absolutely."
He concluded by urging everyone to attend the show."Check out Shen Yun!" he exclaimed.
Shen Yun Impresses Film Producer/Actor
Josh Gottsegen, a film producer
Film producer, Josh Gottsegen, also attended the show.
"It was very good," he said, clearly enthralled by the performance. "To see the culture and the dance and the choreography and the wardrobe--it was very good."
Mr. Gottsegen said that he enjoyed how each of the different art and dance traditions "came together."
He especially enjoyed the dance set, "Handkerchiefs," which takes place against a backdrop of vibrant, rich vegetation.
In the performance, the dancers effortlessly and elegantly toss and twirl their handkerchiefs, representing the rise of spring.
"That was very impressive--the posture of the women--to be able to hold themselves like that. It was enjoyable to watch," he said.
Mr. Gottsegen summed up his experience of the show, saying, "It was very colorful ... and it was fun. It was a good show. I enjoyed it."
"I Was Really Blown Away"
Actor Philip Rodriguez.
Also in attendance was actor Philip Rodriguez, whose most recent part was in the new film We Are the Mods.
"It was much more than I expected," said Mr. Rodriguez. "I was really blown away."
"Everything from the music to the production to the dance itself--it was incredible. Really incredible," he exclaimed.
Another one of Mr. Rodriguez's favorites was the piece, "Handkerchiefs," which he described as "just grace. Really, such intricacy--it was amazing."
The performance, "Chopstick Zest" also caught his eye.
"They had this rhythmic dance," he explained, "They were in such synchronization, it was really powerful. I thought it had both grace and power."
Mr. Rodriguez described the production value of Shen Yun as "amazing." "The costumes were breathtaking, absolutely. I haven't really seen such production value in any of the many shows that I've seen out here."
"It's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful," he said.
The actor said that he would "certainly recommend" the show to his friends. "I would tell my friends they can't see another show like this, anywhere."
Mr. Rodriguez concluded by saying how impressed he was with Shen Yun.
"I just want to say congratulations to all the performers and everyone who worked on this production. They really deserve a round of applause; more than that. They should be very proud, very proud of their work."
Sources:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38877/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38907/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/38883/
Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
