LONDON—Executive Coach Sylvana Caloni was wowed by the diversity of colour and dance at Shen Yun’s opening-night performance at London’s Barbican Centre on March 5.
“It was extraordinary, the diversity of the costumes, the dances—the themes expressed were very, very engaging,” said Ms Caloni, who is also an Executive Vice President of Bankers Trust and President of Women’s Banking and Finance.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts aims to bring to life 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture through classical Chinese dance and music combined with western musical idioms like bel canto song.
Ms Caloni was impressed by the variety of the folk and ethnic dance. “It was much more diverse than I expected. I did not anticipate there would be so many regional differences, dances, and colours,” she said.
Several dances also feature leaps and tumbling techniques, which are an integral part of classical Chinese dance. Ms Caloni said she was “interested to learn that what we normally regard as acrobatics is actually Chinese classical dance.”
She was also delighted with the use of props, such as scarves and handkerchiefs, and the way the performers used different colours and dance styles to create different themes—from spring celebrations to heavenly realms.
Reporting by NTD Television and Kat Piper.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will be performing in Barbican Theatre through March 9. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
