Musicians that attended Shen Yun thoroughly enjoyed the performance, admiring the dedication and training required of the performers to achieve such a high level of expression.
Mark Paul, Barbershop Quartet singer of the group Reveille was enthralled with the entire performance.
“From the beginning to the end, it was such a wonderful storyline, all the way through,” said Paul. “In each performance, it was so different, yet the in the moves were so elegant, and so precise. It just took my breath away.”
“This is real performance at a very, very high level,” he said. “I have never seen such a performance all the way from the beginning to the end at such a high level of performance.”
Paul was captivated by the storytelling and how precise the performers were.
“It allowed me to go, just totally release every dimension of who I am, and go with where the performance was taking me, and that is the highest level of storytelling that you can get,” he said.
“When your whole body, and your mind, and your soul, and your spirit, [taken] along, you’re enraptured,” said Paul. “That is the highest level of performance that you can possibly achieve.”
Kudos to Teachers
Paul was impressed with the discipline of the dancers and musicians and expressed his admiration of the instructors and artistic director.
“If you’re a teacher teaching them at that high level the reward for that teacher is is beyond measure, It’s so enlightening,” said Paul.
Speaking of Shen Yun’s artistic director, Paul was enamored.
“I say to him congratulations, you have achieved the highest level of performance, and storytelling, that I personally have ever ever seen, and I congratulate you,” said Paul. “You did it, you really really did it.”
Paul said how glad he was to attend and that it was an honor to be there.
“I loved the tenor, and the accompan[iment], the pianist was was fantastic, and the orchestra was absolutely wonderful,” said Paul. “It was right there for the storytelling to take place, and it took you along, just like the energy off of the stage, and the tenor was wonderful.
“The energy flowing from the stage just takes you along. It takes you along on a journey and all you have to do is let go.”
Paul shared his perception of the messages conveyed through music and dance.
“The message perceived from the performance was we are heavenly bodies that are here on earth, and and we are here to deliver a message, and it was,” he said. “The message was received, it really was.”
Educational and Liberating
Tim Roberts, musician and producer said the performance was fantastic and inspiring.
“It’s really interesting to hear the traditional Chinese instruments, over the top of you know, orchestral instruments, so it’s very beautiful,” said Roberts. “I really like the music a lot.
“The music is beautiful, and it’s really great to learn more about Chinese culture and Chinese history.”
“It’s very elevating it’s it’s joyous and it’s free, it’s very liberating, and it has a lot of great emotional qualities to it,” he said.
Opera Opinion
Opera Singer Cynthia Ohanian-Aledjian was impressed with the skill level of the performers.
“It’s incredible, the costumes are beautiful, the precision of the dancers, you can tell the technique and how long they’ve rehearsed,” said Ohanian-Aledjian. “The orchestra is incredible as well.”
“It’s very, very beautiful. The singing was great, very good,” she said.
The different elements of the performance were commended by Ohanian-Aledjian.
“I loved hearing the old instruments and the new instruments you know the current instruments beautiful stuff,” she said. “I loved the spiritual element of it you know I could see, the earthly and the spiritual, I like that.
“The choreography was incredible, really very intricate.”
“I loved it I mean, you know, when you hear these instruments, and you know that this tradition’s been handed down for so many years, It’s just beautiful to hear it realize,” said Ohanian-Aledjian.
NTD News, New York
