On the evening of April 10, Shen Yun Performing Arts delivered its fourth performance in Füssen, Germany, in front of a fully packed theater. Among the audience members were the founders of one of Bavaria's most prominent ballet academies, who shared their impressions.
“I’m actually speechless. How impressive, how diverse, and what precision. Incredible, and with live music on top. I’m still completely blown away,” said Natalie Böck, a former ballerina and ballet teacher.
“I was blown away. I knew what kind of quality and synchronicity, above all, the show had already been praised for. And, I must admit, I actually watched sequences, dance sequences, of the entire group and tried to find something that wasn’t in sync. I eventually gave up. It was perfect,” said István Németh, a ballet academy owner and a former ballet dancer.
“Each scene was so precious, with so much history, but also with so much artistry and so much dedication. The ensemble impressed us so much. I was personally [impressed] by the women with their charm and loveliness and those fantastic costumes,” said Ms. Böck.
Through classical Chinese dance and music, Shen Yun aims to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture and values from before communism.
“I was very pleased that we learned so much about humility, gratitude, and togetherness. These values are completely lost in today’s world, and I come from a classical ballet background. The values are similar there, which is why I enjoyed it so much today,” said Ms. Böck.
Mr. Németh said, “The whole thing, including the variety of little stories, whether it was the Mongolian horsemen or the Monkey King story, or simply the dances where no story was being told, was very, very exciting and very interesting.”
Through a series of vignettes, Shen Yun takes audiences on a journey from ancient myths and legends to modern-day tales of courage in the face of spiritual persecution in communist China. For this reason, Shen Yun has not performed in China to date.
“It’s actually a completely different culture for us. The music, the sounds, the gestures, the pantomime, the choreography, the steps, it’s very, very exciting to see, and I’m very grateful that I was able to see it now,” said Mr. Németh.
“It’s very, very important, and I think it’s great that we saw this today, and that so many more people will see it, or already have. It’s a traditional dance that must be kept alive,” said Ms. Böck. “You absolutely must come, let yourself go, enjoy these wonderful scenes. And maybe even make someone else happy with them.”
“You absolutely must see this. We live in the 21st century, and this show is a big part of it,” said Mr. Németh.
Shen Yun will be performing in Frankfurt, Germany, from May 2 through May 4.
