Shen Yun, a classical Chinese dance, was an anticipated performance of mine since seeing a 30-second trailer on Youtube. When I first saw it, I remember being in awe of the bright colors and the unique dance performance. When I found out that my Mom had bought my brother and me tickets, I was excited. Last August, I got to watch Shen Yun at the OCCC Visual And Performing Arts Center Theater and came out satisfied with the whole experience.
Shen Yun originated by the founder, D.F., who has made contributions as an artistic and creative director since 2006. His contribution to Shen Yun is nothing short of impactful, as Shen Yun has reached audiences worldwide, captivating them with its cultural and traditional Chinese dances. Shen Yun was started in 2006, by a group of Chinese artists who wanted to bring back the once-lost Chinese culture that was taken away in 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party who saw the cultural practice as a threat to their ideology. Due to the lack of representation of Chinese culture, from music and dances dating back five thousand years ago, Shen Yun was born to bring light to the once-lost culture.
The Shen Yun performance included a lot of dance, orchestra, and solo songs that were all original pieces created for this event. With each performance, a 3D projector was behind the performers, illuminating the settings every performance took place in, from older China with trees, palaces, and neighborhoods to the present city landscape and school buildings. An eventive trick to bring the performance to life was performers hopping off the back of the stage and entering the projected setting to make the 3D projection a real live background. For example, in one performance, “Dance Story: Kindness Rewarded,” a young man frees a fish that was caught by one of his friends, and through his kindness, the fish returns to the man to repay his kindness with an adventure. The animated goldfish comes out of the water and waves at him through the projection while the man, behind the projection, thinks he’s been drinking too much. After the fish jumps out of the water again, it glows up in a bright light, and once the light comes down to the projector, it reveals itself to be a woman in an orange dress, who comes out from the bottom stage and walks to the man in person. Tricks like this help elevate the event with unique techniques, visuals, and beautiful dances that collectively help to tell a story.
For opinions on the event, I asked my mom and brother what they thought of Shen Yun. My mom responded, “It was a new experience being able to see a show that tells a story through dance. I love how Asian shows incorporate colors in every art form.” My brother also agreed with this sentiment.
I encourage all of you to try to see Shen Yun this year as it is not just an experience for entertainment but history being remembered.
Photo by Lycheeart on Unsplash