Shen Yun Dancers’ ‘Technique and togetherness—that just blew my mind’ Says Dance Student

OGDEN, Utah—”On a scale of 1 to 10, I would actually give them 10 stars,” said Whitney Collins, dance student, about Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company’s performance at the Val A. Browning Center on March 13. “They were just amazing with their technique and their togetherness—that just blew my mind.”

Ms. Collin is in college studying modern dance and ballet and attended the Wednesday matinee performance with Julia Fiffin, a retired teacher.

“I love it. It was brilliant … fabulous, and lovely,” Ms. Collins said.

“Shen Yun draws top artists from around the world. With a passion for the classical arts, they join Shen Yun in its mission to revive a culture that was once almost lost,” states the company’s website.

“Chinese dance is at the heart of what Shen Yun does. Known for its incredible flips and spins, and its gentle elegance, it is one of the most rigorous and expressive art forms in the world.”

Ms. Fiffin encouraged Ms. Collins to describe what she liked best. It was the dance called An Early Spring where dancers twirl handkerchiefs that hover in the air and then catch them to evoke the annual change from winter to spring. “That was really cool.”

She also enjoyed the dance technique of the male dancers: “That was very, very strong.”

“What makes them good, lots of years of practice, I’m sure,” says Ms. Collins.

“Classical Chinese dance has its own training in basic skills, physical expression and postures, leaps, flips, spins and other difficult tumbling techniques, forming an extensive and independent dance system,” the website states.

“I would love to learn classic Chinese dance,” said Ms. Collins. “I think it probably takes about 12 years to get that flexible, maybe eight.”

She said the Shen Yun dancers were super amazing … super on time and together; it was marvelous.”

Ms. Fiffin stated, “[They were] exactly where they were supposed to be on the stage.”

“I loved it too,” concluded Ms. Fiffin. “I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the backdrop and the way that they made movements go right into the scenery. I thought that was really, really nice and different.”

With reporting by Youzhi Ma and Cat Rooney.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company is scheduled to perform at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Las Vegas, March 15–17. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

  The Epoch Times publishes in 35
countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.