We had the treat of a lifetime last night, at the Theatre of Udine, while attending the performance of SHEN YUN.
This performance exhilarated for so many reasons.
First and foremost is the back story.
In 2006 a group of Chinese artists gathered in New York to form the non profit SHEN YUN performing arts in order to salvage and share with the world 5000 years of Chinese civilization through their spectacular performances. Since 1949 the Communist government in China has repressed all efforts to keep this artistic patrimony alive, and in fact, as of today SHEN YUN is not allowed to perform there.
The second reason is the costumes which are pure bursts of pleasurable color upon color upon color that add to the movement, which is highly athletic, energetic and expressive.
In fact, Classical Chinese ballet is considered the most complete form for its comprehensive dance features (classical Chinese dance, folk dance, ethnic dance, story-based dance).
The really cool (so cool in fact that it was patented in 2016 by SHEN YUN) surprise for a ballet performance is the interactive digital back screen of the stage where the actors seemingly pop out of and back into the background thereby extending the space of the stage into infinity and creating a truly magical experience.
Each performance tells a story. Some dramatic, some comical, others historical and always exquisitely beautiful. And there are also solo performances (tenor, pianist and ehru soloist).
The orchestra is composed of both traditional and classical Western instruments as well as those specific to China (for example: the ehru, dizi, pipa and suona) creating a brand new fusion of sound.
My absolute favorite performances (where embarrassingly I must admit I was crying) were Fiori di pruno a primavera (Plum blossoms in spring) and Maniche d’acqua (Sleeves of water).
SHEN YUN creates a brand new performance each year, with entirely new costumes and stage sets, and seven companies performing simultaneously around the world.
SHEN YUN is a feast for the senses and a gift to the rest of the world.
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