VANCOUVER, Canada—Construction company owner Dion Dunbar attended
Shen Yun Performing Arts for the second time at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 10. The experience was even better than he remembered.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “Very dynamic performance, excellent choreography. I loved it.”
Its production comprises a series of short pieces that takes its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China. Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.
Mr. Dunbar was especially impressed by the company’s use of a 3D digital backdrop, which collaborated seamlessly with the dancers on stage to bring
storytelling to life.
“I was really impressed with the jumping from the screen and back and forth,” he said. “That was really very, very good to see. It was really well done.”
He also enjoyed the solo by Shen Yun’s singer, who sang in the traditional
bel canto—a style known for its ability to create tones of unparalleled beauty and purity. Through original compositions and lyrics, the artists invite the listener to explore the deeper meanings of life.
“It had a lot to talk about divinity and following those tenets that bring us peace. I found that enlightening,” Mr. Dunbar said.
“I come from a Christian upbringing, but it’s really good to see that doesn’t matter where you are in the world or actually what period of time, there’s still the same [values] in every person in the world, so that was comforting.”
Before the Communist Party’s spread of atheism, Chinese people were
deeply spiritual and believed in the divine. For thousands of years, their values and day-to-day actions were strictly governed by the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.
In the decades since the communist regime seized power, Chinese culture was forced to the brink of extinction. Shen Yun artists are now seeking
to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and showcase to the world the beauty of China before communism.
Reflecting on Shen Yun’s story-based dances—which not only recount legends from
ancient times to the
present day, but also convey traditional virtues such as generosity and kindness—Mr. Dunbar said they’re “fantastic.”
The storylines “show that there’s a strength of character throughout the whole sequence from beginning to end,” he expressed. “I’d definitely come back. I’m happy to bring more [people] later.”
Summing up the performance in three words, he described Shen Yun as “colorful, informative, and enlightening.”
Reporting by Jane Yang and Jennifer Tseng.
