Shen Yun ‘Exquisite,’ Says Theater Critic

WORCESTER, Mass.—A full house watched Shen Yun Performing Arts’ cultural tour-de-force play at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Mass. on Friday night.

Ralph Hammann, who taught theater and film in high school for 35 years, also working as a theater critic for the New York-based Metro Land newspaper, attended the performance.

“I love it,” he said, adding that he was impressed with the dancers’ movements down to even their facial expressions, something he called “exquisite.”

“You almost take for granted their craft, skills, [you] never even for a second think anything could go wrong,” he said.

Shen Yun aims to revive China’s ancient, traditional culture through dance and the arts, the New York-based company’s website states. The medium of expression used by the performers is classical Chinese dance, considered one of the most comprehensive forms of dance in the world.

The performance’s choreography “is wonderful. It’s my favorite” aspect of the show, he said.

Classical Chinese dance “entails systematic training in movements and postures, as well as very difficult jumping and tumbling techniques,” the Shen Yun website says.

Shen Yun has several award-winning singers who perform songs in Chinese, using the bel canto technique. While he thought all the parts of the show were memorable, he said the dances which depict the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong were “well placed.”

Falun Gong is a meditation practice which for twelve years has been repressed by the Chinese Communist Party. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun currently cannot play in China.

“The messages are very uplifting [and] not only touch on the modern issues in general large terms, but also very internal [terms] too,” Mr. Hammann said. “The very first song reminds us things a person [or] individual needs to remember.”

On a personal note, he said, “I’m getting engaged with a Chinese woman. I wish she could have been here tonight. I will take her to this show next year.”

Reporting by Timothy Pi and Jack Phillips.

Shen Yun will be in Providence, R.I., on Jan. 19, 2012, at the Providence Performing Arts Center and in Boston Jan. 20–22 for four shows at the Boston Opera House. New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org