CLAREMONT, Calif.—Five thousand years of history is a lot to keep up with and Kimberly Hirst, a high school counselor, was glad that the two Masters of Ceremony of Shen Yun Performing Arts could help everyone follow along.
“It helps to have the MCs in between. Because if it was just one whole thing, I think we would kind of get lost with the storyline. They were actually kind of funny and entertaining at times,” Ms. Hirst added.
Shen Yun’s two MCs provide brief introductions for each piece so that even those who are unfamiliar with Chinese culture can follow along.
“The MCs were so graceful and very good at explaining what we were watching so it was excellent,” said Steve Hirst, an administrative assistant at a law firm.
Shen Yun is based in New York and its mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
“I thought it was great. I think everything encompassed the history of the nation,” Ms. Hirst said.
Shen Yun’s live orchestra is a unique combination of traditional Chinese instruments and a classic Western ensemble.
“I actually really enjoyed it. It was lovely. The music is absolutely fantastic. I want an album. It was great. It was a great performance,” Ms. Hirst said.
Playing along with the strings, wind, and percussion instruments, the audience can also hear Chinese instruments such as the pipa and erhu.
“I really enjoyed the music and how they explained what the different instruments were. The Chinese instruments were great. The orchestra really stood out, especially when the fog would come. How are they supposed to see what they are doing? And they did not miss a beat. They were perfect,” Mr. Ruiz praised.
Shen Yun’s performance begins with the arrival of the Creator and Mr. Hirst noted that a belief in the Creator permeates through many cultures.
“When they mention the Creator, I think a lot of the different cultures can associate with that, right? Whatever you believe, whatever your beliefs are, there is a Creator, right? So that’s what I caught. And the last number, I think, put it all together from everything that we saw in the first act and then the second act, and then the culmination of with the Creator. That was great,” he said.
