On March 23, Shen Yun Performing Arts arrived at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, the last stop of its tour in Spain. The venue was fully booked, and the performers received three curtain calls. Parliament member Amaya Martinez was among the audience members.
“I thought it was wonderful. Spectacular,” she said. “And the truth is that it takes you to a different world.”
Manuel Morey Vives, a professor, said, “it just blew me away. It was the kind of show that makes the time fly by and at the same time, with just the movements alone, it conveys so much to you that you become part of the story itself.”
“I was amazed! The staging is really impressive. I like the performance very much,” said Jesús López Carrascal, a law firm owner. “I watch a lot of musical theater, but [Shen Yun] certainly has some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen, with enormous stage magic.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to bring traditional Chinese culture back to life, which has a history of over 5,000 years. Those traditions have been suppressed and almost destroyed since the Chinese communist regime took power in 1949.
Amaya Martinez, a member of the Vasco Parliament said, “These are cultures that we need to know about. And above all, we need to respect the culture of our ancestors, because in the end, that is what has made us what we are today. You cannot persecute the culture the way [the communists] are persecuting it. Our culture has to be defended, it has to be maintained above all else. And I think that all the artists, everyone involved with the show, both front and backstage, you are truly brave. Brave is an understatement.”
“I knew how deep Chinese culture is, but to see it reflected in a performance is impressive. Because at the end of the day, behind every work of art is the human soul, and also emotions and balance. And that’s what this show manages to convey. That feeling of tranquility, of relaxation and enjoyment,” said Mr. Carrascal.
Shen Yun uses the medium of Classical Chinese dance to portray legends and historical events from Chinese history. The program also features a live symphony orchestra, as well as vocal performances.
Emilio Hernández, a lawyer, said that he “was surprised by the performance of the tenor in the show, which [I thought] was just dance oriented. And as a whole everything was very colorful and very complete.”
Javier Conde, an economist, said that what he liked the most “was the music. It was impressive, live music. They mixed Western instruments with Eastern ones.”
Parliament member Martinez said, “the orchestra, really, a philharmonic orchestra. One of the best I’ve ever heard. Perfectly tuned, and you can feel the vibrations. It’s spectacular. Of course, I recommend that everyone please come and watch it. Come and see it live, because that’s when you’re really going to get the full experience.”
NTD News, Bilbao, Spain
