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Vancouver, British Columbia: Vancouver Man Celebrates His 50th Birthday by Attending Shen Yun (Photos)

April 08, 2009 |   Compiled by Clearwisdom staff

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts performed at Queen Elizabeth Theatre to an audience full of appreciation for the beauty and excellence the dance company added to what was a most glorious spring day in Vancouver.


Mr. Esaw, a mutual fund branch manager, attended the show with his wife

Mr. Esaw, a branch manager of mutual funds, attended the show on his birthday with his wife. "Instead of seeing a movie we wanted to take in some culture," he said. Mr. Esaw stated that his favorite piece was "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution."

"I was really moved by the one that had a spiritual theme. You can also see Christian parallels. That was impressive. I am sure some of this would be frowned upon in mainland China. I sort of expected a long story between good and evil, but they were short vignettes, colorful and beautiful."

Shen Yun uses an animated, state-of-the art 3D backdrop to add depth and variety to the show. "The background slides really helped bring things to life--the colors, the flowers, the beauty, and the humanity," said Mr. Esaw.

"It brings to mind some people who I think would enjoy seeing it. I want to call them and tell them to consider coming to see it."

"Welcoming Spring" and "Dragon Spring Drummers" were among the dance pieces singled out for praise by the theatergoers. "The one with the flowers, with the green and that beautiful, vibrant pink is my favorite," said Mrs. Bruno. "Gorgeous."

"The drums are my favorite--very good," said her husband, Mr. Bruno, a radio personality who has been involved in broadcasting for the Italian community for more than three decades. He also serves on the boards of a several Vancouver organizations.

Shen Yun performances are filled with large-scale choreographed classical Chinese dance numbers of amazing variety and depth. Each piece delves deep into traditional Chinese culture and presents something new and innovative. "It's beautiful, the variety," said Mrs. Bruno. "I'm really, really enjoying it--very, very beautiful."

Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft shared their thoughts on the performance. Mr. Ashcroft, a corporate manager for a major food company that owns a number of popular food brands, said, "It was very, very unique. It is a pleasure to see the other cultures and the other dances. The cultural aspect of it has been quite pleasing."

Mrs. and Mr. Ashcroft

He was especially impressed by the innovative digital backdrops that provided an animated setting for the performances. "I liked the backdrops--I think that was very unique. I hadn't seen that done in any shows that I have seen in the past, and it was very enlightening. It adds a very nice dimension to the whole show."

Mr. Florian, who owns three Toronto-based businesses specializing in education for overseas students, was impressed with the show and its representation of Chinese culture.


Mr. and Mrs. Florian at the Monday night Shen Yun Performance

"It's a terrific exposure to the Chinese culture. I think it is an amazing performance that shows the many different cultures that China is. There are many languages and cultures within China and this comes out in the show, which I think is terrific. It's interesting that it's all North American [Chinese] performers"

The state-of-the-art digital 3D backdrop that accompanies each act lends a vibrant background to each performance and is a key element to the Shen Yun show, something Mr. Florian enjoyed.

"Very well done--it really captures it with the gods coming down," he said, referring to the opening act entitled "The Five Millennia Begins," which features China's famed Yellow Emperor. "It's amazing, and here are the gods coming from the screen and then they walk up. It's spectacular the way they have done it. Very creative."

The Shen Yun Performing Arts orchestra combines Eastern and Western instruments to provide the original music that accompanies each performance. The Erhu solo, played by virtuoso Mei Xuan, is an audience favorite.

"The last performance with the Erhu--it was amazing the sounds that came out of that instrument," said Mr. Florian.

Source: http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/14947/
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