Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance troupe, home-based and formed in New York in 2006. The troupe has performed internationally since that time. Shen Yun translates to the divine soul and spirit of the dancer.
The troupe will perform at the Capital Theatre, Sydney, 27 April-6 May 2012. No one adjective can sum up the magnificence of their performance. Even total beauty in motion is an inadequate description. It is all- encompassing: visual, audio, emotional and all with a twist-a very definite political message.
The names of the dances reflect the beauty and vibrance of the costumes. Two stand out items were “Lotus Leaves” and “Sleeves of Silk.”
To say the dancing was superb is an understatement. Dancers were strong and dynamic as they bounded acrobatically across the stage, while at other times they seemed to effortlessly glide as if on a floating cloud.
The use of the backdrop merging into the actual stage was clever and captivating. The entire backdrop scenery became the entrance and exit to and from the celestial realm. Extremely effective and unexpected. Yes, as the name suggests, divine.
Each dance number was introduced in both English and Chinese with a brief synopsis. Interestingly enough, many routines dealt with the age old theme of good triumphing over evil. In fact, this was the underlying message conveyed by the entire performance.
The dances were interspersed with three vocal numbers, two of which dealt openly with the moral decline of the world and the importance of spreading the truth. However, the vocal numbers, even though musically brilliant, seem somewhat diminished by the lyrics on the backdrop, in both Chinese and English, which were somewhat reminiscent of Karaoke.
At the end of the performance, which came all too soon, the narrator thanked the audience and named future international venues. In fact, one can see Shen Yun just about anywhere in the world, except in China where it is banned, no doubt because of its subtle political criticism of the communist regime’s propaganda and persecution of its citizens.
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