Lorena Chitu, a business owner, said, “The artists, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. And yet I’ve seen so many dance shows, classical ballet. But I think this goes beyond anything I’ve seen so far.”
“It’s a very high standard that only large theaters can afford, a very large company, very beautiful sets and costumes,” said Franco Cusolito, a vice president.
Ms. Chitu said, “The grace, the lightness. At times, it seemed as if they were floating in the air, just like butterflies, like leaves in the wind. That was wonderful, and I believe there is a lot of work behind it. I congratulate them on all their sacrifice and effort, which they do with a smile on their faces. They never lost their smiles throughout the entire show, which shows how motivated and passionate they are about what they do.”
“Particularly, especially for instruments characteristic of China, it’s very nice to hear the tones of those instruments that we don’t know in our musical tradition. So very curious to listen to—and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The orchestra is very good. The interaction with the dancers was also really, really beautiful and fascinating,” said Nancy Carrara, a piano teacher.
Ms. Carrara said, “The dancers with long sleeves that created the effect of water, the peacocks, and the Mongolian male dancers with their truly wonderful dance technique combined with the skill of the violinists who created this musical effect of galloping horses, which was very beautiful and very interesting.”
Shen Yun is based in New York, where it was founded in 2006. Their mission is to revive 5,000 years of traditional culture through classical Chinese dance and music of China before communism.
“I lived under the communist dictatorship until I was 12 years old,” Ms. Chitu said.
“I remember the limitations and barriers that existed and the freedom that I later discovered, and the freedom that brought with it a great sacrifice because change brings a great sacrifice. But we never lost our optimism, we never lost hope, and so this show was particularly moving for me.”
Nicola Carrara, a management consulting advisor, said, “Beautiful, beautiful because they really conveyed something divine, something that seemed to come from another world. It was really very interesting for this reason. Beyond the very technological effects of the video and the dancers coming out of the video, entering the scene and vice versa, which is true, very modern, but also very divine and very magical. So it was really very interesting.”
“This is the second time we’ve come to see it; it’s fascinating. Everyone is very professional, the sets are beautiful, and this is also demonstrated by the success they’ve had with the public here in Milan,” Mr. Cusolito said.
