Shen Yun Performing Arts hit the stage in Vancouver, Canada, on March 22 and 23, showcasing 5,000 years of China’s rich heritage through dance and music.
“Very rich and full of tradition. And I’m very impressed with the technical, the dancing, and all of that. It was obviously a very kind, friendly, beautiful, culture before, and it’s unfortunately changed now,” said Michelle Bosch, an otolaryngologist at Northern Health, a provincial health authority for the northern half of the province British Columbia.
“That’s the nice thing about this performance, is over time, telling the stories and just telling the history and the culture and how it’s evolved over the period of time. So I thought that was very good,” said Leon Bell, co-founder and chief operating officer of No Meat Factory.
“The storytelling in the art form is really good. I really hope this kind of ancient, genuine, original arts, we get to know more about it. We should share it, explore it, and everybody in the world shouldn’t forget their roots,” said Parmeet Kamra, media host of RED FM Vancouver.
Shen Yun showcases a wide range of stories inspired by China’s rich history, while touching on the current-day communist persecution of faith groups such as Falun Dafa. The group’s spiritual beliefs follow the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
“Definitely very strong morals and I like that. From the Western society, like [Falun Dafa] still being persecuted for some of the freedoms that we take for granted … it is emotional and impactful to see that too,” said Josh Goode, general manager of Goode Properties.
“I personally think any injustice should be faced. And I think everyone should have their own beliefs and be able to practise whatever their religion is or whatever their personal beliefs align with. So I’m fully in support of everybody having their own rights,” said Geetanjli Sharma, marketing manager of The Times of Canada.
Shen Yun tours with a live orchestra that blends classical Eastern and Western instruments in harmony to perform all-original compositions.
“You could hear some Chinese instruments combined with cello or piano,” said Stephane Gallien, creative director of Black 2 Blond. “The whole thing works together very well. You could not say ‘OK, this is Chinese, this is Western.’ The whole thing was in perfect harmony.”
It’s a mix between a traditional Western orchestra and traditional Chinese music, fused and merged together, Mr. Bell said. “I thought that was a nice balance,” he added. “We hadn’t seen this before and we really enjoyed it.”
Shen Yun will next visit the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Canada, from March 29 to 31.
From NTD News, Vancouver, Canada
