Company President: Shen Yun ‘Something unique to see’

CHICAGO—As president of Flower Show Productions and producer of the Chicago Garden & Flower Show at Navy Pier, Tony Abruscato knows something about color. Yet Mr. Abruscato thought the colors he saw presented on stage by Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company were amazing.

Shen Yun, the world’s premier company that showcases classical Chinese dance and music, performed in Chicago July 7 and 8. Mr. Abruscato and Valerie Gross attended the show Sunday.

Ms. Gross said of the performance: “Oh, I love it! It’s just beautiful; its breathtaking, breathtaking!”

New York-based Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance to tell stories from China’s 5,000 years of culture.

“I thought it was beautiful. I was so excited to see the show and see the beautiful dance, the costuming and the colors. I thought it really brought out some of the beautiful culture of the Chinese people, and it was something unique to see,” Mr. Abruscato said.

Both Mr. Abruscato and Ms. Gross mentioned specific dances that caught their attention.

“I thought the color was amazing and I thought the silk dance was just beautiful,” Mr. Abruscato said, referring to the dance Sleeves of Silk.

In this dance, long silk sleeves act as extensions of a dancer’s arms. “The effect is akin to fluttering wings or trailing ripples, a visual echo of the performer as she glides from one movement to the next,” according to the program.

“I loved the way it really represents what the culture is about in the stories behind the dance and seeing the different colors was so bright, so sharp. It was really impressive,” he added.

Ms. Gross mentioned a dance that depicts a situation in China today—a persecution for upholding one’s beliefs: “I love the colors, the dance and the story. It’s very moving, The Choice was very moving for me—just the representation of [the character] making the choice to defend the woman that he cared about, and it was emotional. I thought he had died, so it was emotional for me.”

“I thought the dancers were amazing,” Mr. Abruscato said. “The precision that they have and the way they’re unified in their movements, you can tell that they’ve studied a long time and worked hard that to get where they’re at.”

In addition to dance, Shen Yun presents world-class, bel canto style solo vocalists.

I thought the singers were just beautiful.

“I thought the singers were just beautiful—their ability. You could hear it throughout the whole hall. It’s the quality of their work and I thought it was a great addition to the show, to not only see the visuals, but also to hear people sing was amazing, and the stories that each one told, I thought was beautiful,” Mr. Abruscato said.

Commenting on other visual aspects of the performance, he said: “I think, from a production value standpoint, it’s quite amazing, and I think the use of the videos and the beautiful screens behind the dancers enhances the show and makes it an overall very enjoyable experience.”

“I liked how they literally look like they’re jumping right out of the screen. That to me was fascinating. It was really something to see,” Ms. Gross said.

Both were commenting on the high-tech animated backdrops that show figures flying across the scene, only to appear as real dancers when they land on stage.

In speaking about one such moment, Ms. Gross said, “That was really breathtaking, I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Ms. Gross would tell her friends “that it really is a story. It’s a journey through the years and the different areas and then [I’d] talk about just the color, like Tony said, its so vivid, and the precision of the dance and the way that they move across the stage. I love the fan dances. Those are really something to see and it’s the sound that goes along with it too—how they synchronize the sound with the fans and with them opening and closing.

“I don’t know if it’s describable! I don’t know if you can get that across to somebody. I really think its something you really have to come and experience!” she said.

Reporting by Nancy Ma and Sharon Kilarski.

Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.

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