Musician Thrilled by the Grandeur of Color and Vibrancy in Shen Yun

CHICAGO—“The movement is really thrilling,” said Brielan Andersen after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s first show of its 2-day stay at Chicago’s Civic Opera House.

“I didn’t expect such grandeur of color and vibrancy. I really enjoyed that,” Ms. Andersen said of the performance that displays 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture in its music and dance.

Beginning her doctorate in classical music this fall, Ms. Andersen, was attuned to the Shen Yun Orchestra, which is composed of mostly Western instruments and also includes classical Chinese instruments, such as the erhu, dizi, pipa, and suona, giving it its characteristic Chinese quality.

“I’m a classical musician so I didn’t know what to expect in the music,” Ms. Andersen said.

“The music is so interesting; it’s apparently composed originally for this show every year,” she added, having read this fact in the Shen Yun program booklet.

In addition to the music, New York-based Shen Yun is known for its classical Chinese dance, a system developed within the imperial palace, ancient Chinese theater and opera. “Soaking up profound wisdom from every era and dynasty, it has become a complete system of dance embodying traditional aesthetic principles with its unique dance movements, rhythms, and inner meaning,” according to Shen Yun’s website.

As one of the most expressive dance forms in the world, classical Chinese dance allows it’s performers to tell stories, both comical and serious.

I like that they added a little comedy aspect.

Ms. Andersen enjoyed that some of the dances were amusing. “I really enjoyed it; I like that they added a little comedy aspect,” she said.

But she appreciated the serious dances as well. Those depicting modern stories of courage touched her.

“It always strikes a chord in you when you see when one is being persecuted. That’s always difficult to observe in a culture or religion,” she said.

In recommending Shen Yun to others, Ms. Andersen said, “Don’t come expecting Western music or Western Ballet at all. It’s very much within a Chinese tradition.”—A tradition Ms. Andersen thoroughly enjoyed learning about.

Reporting by Valerie Avore 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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