(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company continues its successful Australian tour, gracing the stage at the Canberra Theatre.
In the audience on Saturday, May 22 were Jane Cottan-Manning, a real-estate property manager, and her friend Yllanda Hallam-Walsh, who teaches English at Telopea Park School. They shared their appreciation for the world-renowned show.
"It's brilliant! It's spectacular!" Ms. Hallam-Walsh said. "I love the short piece to do with modern-day China--brought me to tears. Was beautiful, beautiful, is all I can say!" She was referring to the dance portrayal of the mother and daughter who were persecuted for their practice of Falun Dafa [Nothing Can Block the Divine Path].
Ms. Cottan-Manning had similar thoughts about the piece. "It is brilliant--absolutely brilliant. It brings home what it's still like and how far it can go. How, if you're truthful or honest, the divine will always look after you. You will still go to heaven, no matter what. It's brilliantly told, brilliantly danced, choreographed. Spectacular!"
She said she was aware of the persecution of Falun Gong currently happening in China, and described how the performance deepened her understanding and sympathy.
"I can feel it--not just see it, but feel it ... With the heart." She was "very moved, by the story, but also by how the performers put it across.
"It was very expressional, very explosive--and very honest."
Ms. Hallam-Walsh also enjoyed some of the lighter moments in the performance.
"Even in some of the more serious dances there is still a little bit of a joke to it," she said. "I love the hunt one, the guy who goes and hunts the tiger and gets drunk--that was awesome!" [Wu Song Battles the Tiger]
The dance mentioned depicts a scene from one of China's most beloved novels, Outlaws of the Marsh, where the hero, Wu Song, stalks a man-eating tiger.
Ms. Cottan-Manning appreciated having the explanation of each act by the two emcees, "The lead-up to each act is brilliant. It's gorgeous," she said.
"I would recommend anyone to come and see [Shen Yun]. I've been wanting to see this for so long ... If they come here again, I would definitely go again," she concluded. "They're brilliant!"
Flies in Just to See Shen Yun
On this beautiful Saturday evening, May 22, theatre-goers hurried into the Canberra Theatre for the third Shen Yun performance in the nation's capital.
Russ Ord, a consultant in training and development in the agriculture and food industry, was there with his wife Tuyet. He had just flown in from Launceston this afternoon. He came back specifically to see Shen Yun for the first time. His wife is Vietnamese and she was very excited to see it.
Russ Ord with his wife Tuyet
He greatly appreciated hearing the Shen Yun live orchestra of traditional Chinese and Western instruments, which plays original music. "I'm thoroughly enjoying it," he said.
"It's great, it's quite relaxing," said Mr. Ord. "I came here to relax and to enjoy it. The music is quite different--there's quite a range of pace and the instruments coming through. I'm thoroughly enjoying it."
Doctor Says Shen Yun is a 'good insight' into Chinese Culture
Lisa Thomas with Tim Eyres at the evening performance
Two doctors in the audience, Lisa Thomas from Wales and Tim Eyres, shared their thoughts after the performance.
Ms. Thomas said it was "Absolutely fantastic."
"We really enjoyed it," agreed Mr. Eyres. "It was absolutely amazing-- it was excellent!"
Ms. Thomas explained that she didn't know much about Chinese culture, or Chinese dance, and she felt that Shen Yun was a "good insight into it."
She added, "I just really like the Chinese dancing, I've never seen that before. The techniques were really impressive, absolutely beautiful."
Ms. Thomas appreciated the emcees who explained a little about the dance when introducing each performance. "I really liked the commentaries before each individual dance, the snippets on what the dances are representing, good intro," she said.
Speaking about the techniques of the dancers, Ms. Thomas said they were "absolutely amazing, so technical, which I never really knew about before, really impressed with the techniques, they are just brilliant.
"I just really love all the colours and the costumes. It's just really pretty."
Ms. Thomas appreciated the performance depicting the present day persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. Falun Dafa is a peaceful meditation practice, practiced by millions of people all over the world. She said that it is a "good thing to remind people that there are still problems out there [in China today] that we should be aware of and so it is good to bring that in."
When it came to the music, they were both particularly impressed with the solo erhu. "That was absolutely the best thing I've ever heard! We thought that was absolutely beautiful."
Shen Yun uses a state of the art backdrop with landscape scenes from China and the realms of heaven. Mr. Eyres felt this added to the performance. He added, "the backdrop was good, I thought it was excellent, that was really good. And the costumes were beautiful."
They both agreed that they would be back to see Shen Yun again next year.
Source:
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/35950/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/35951/
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Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
