(Clearwisdom.net) The curtain at the Stadsschouwburg opened for the final performance of the internationally acclaimed Shen Yun Divine Performing Arts on February 25.
Three days prior, Shen Yun set foot, for the second time in two years, on the soil of this important European city, where culture is prized by its citizens, returning to share the rich legacy of the 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with Belgium's audiences.
Famous Dancer and Choreographer Overwhelmed and Amazed by the Devotion
Jeanne Brabants, the retired founder of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and a dancer and choreographer, along with her sister Jos Brabants, retired director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, came to see Shen Yun. These highly-trained professional artists were very impressed with what they saw, and Jeanne Brabants said, "Beautiful, beautiful. And the materials, and just as my sister said, the discipline is very good," with Jos adding, "Unbelievable!"
Jeanne Brabants (L), retired founder of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and Jos Barbants (R), her sister
"It was a wonderful performance. They dance with much more [eloquence]. What is fantastic about this group is that there are so many men dancing. And, they dance so extraordinarily well, these men. Our [male dancers] can't be compared to these male dancers," explained Jeanne.
Jeanne said, "What made the most impression on me personally was the Tibetan folk dance. Unbelievable!" She continued, "But without any doubt it is an incredible achievement. And their effort and discipline! And their belief! They believe in what they are doing."
"They are on the way towards a very bright future because these dances are based on authentic material," said Jeanne. "Their tradition is much stronger than ours, because ours has been lost."
The show was awe-inspiring in Jos' eyes, and she said, "What can I say? I have been so overwhelmed. By the incredible discipline they have... Unbelievable! Thumbs up."
Jeanne shared, "This is your performance and we have watched it wide-eyed. I was quite amazed by it, mainly by the devotion of these young people. I was very happy!"
A Message of Hope
A famous young actor, Anthony Arandia, and his girlfriend Rebekka Vanderhaeghen were among the audience for the final performance at the Stadsschouwburg, on Wednesday, February 25.
A famous young actor and his girlfriend
He said he appreciated the stories from ancient Chinese culture, especially "The Monkey King Triumphs"
"The show is great. It is quite inspiring. There are lots of stories like 'The Monkey King Triumps.' I did not know about this, really. I learned a bit more about this. I try to know all that it [the scenes] symbolized and to understand how the culture works and how it evolved. It is a quite interesting show, actually," said Mr. Arandia.
He added, "I studied for a few years in a traditional Kung-fu school. So I am a little bit used to it. I am really enjoying the show. It is very nice."
He shared that he was moved by the performance entitled "Dignity and Compassion": "I liked the story that takes place in the prison. It is also a big symbol of what happens in history, of how things change all of a sudden. The arrival of communism had a big impact on Chinese culture. It is very nicely done, because it also has a great message of hope for the people who are persecuted and always threatened by a totalitarian regime."
"Magnifique!"
"Magnifique!" exclaimed one audience member, who works for a highly-placed member in the government.
She said, "It was very nice, I liked it. Yes, yes! It was very nice and magnifique!"
She appreciated all the hard work that went into the show, "The choreography was very, very nice. And the dancers were... It was just magnifique!"
Mrs. Bout-Smit, a professional dancer, as well as a dance teacher, along with her husband, Ben Bout, also attended the Shen Yun performance. They had traveled all the way back from Holland just to see the show. "Last week when I happened to be here in Antwerp, I saw the flyers. I thought it looked very nice, let's go see it," said Mr. Bout.
Mr. Bout and his wife, a professional dancer
Mrs. Bout-Smit said, "It was really magnificent to see! The choreography is very well thought out. Sixteen people on the stage at the same time! All those movements, and the difficulty is just... magnificent would be the correct way to say it!"
She also shared that she was intrigued by the unique blend of classical Western instruments and traditional Chinese instruments that is the music of the Shen Yun Orchestra. "It was nice! It's live music, and it's Chinese music. This is totally different from the European art [music]. This is totally different, and magnificent to see!"
An Important Message to the World
Ms. Luyckx, an event organizer, along with her 82-year-old mother Dedee Luyckx, were among the theatre-goers who came to learn more about a culture that had flourished until the Chinese Communist regime came to power.
Ms. Luyckx, an event organizer, and her 82-year-old mother, Dedee Luyckx
As both the Luyckx ladies are very spiritually oriented, the show gave them everything they hoped for. "Unbelievable! We have heard that one needs to meet a spiritual way to really know what the message is. We are so glad, because we try to find such ways," Ms. Luyckx said appreciatively.
Both mother and daughter were drawn by the peace and spirituality the artists exuded, and the mother said that they were impressed with the message of reincarnation. "We believe in it [reincarnation] and we think it is important."
Although they had not been exposed to Chinese culture in the past, Ms. Luyckx said, "We read a lot of books. We also meditate, so we can understand what is going on."
Mother Luyckx added, "We know that it is so important to give such a message to the world. I know this show is not only being performed in Belgium. They [the artists] will travel throughout the world with this message."
Source: http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/12773/
http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/12759/
http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/12771/
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Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
