(Clearwisdom.net) Goyang, South Korea, is the last stop in South Korea for Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company. On January 29, 2011, Shen Yun’s debut performance in the Goyang Aram Nuri Aram attracted many top celebrities in cultural and artistic circles.


Shen Yun Performing Arts' final performance in Korea in Aram Nuri Aram in Goyang

Master Director of the Korean Film Industry: Shen Yun a Must-See Performance

Im Kwon-taek, a master director in the Korean film industry, praised the show for “demonstrating such divine magnificence, power, and might in a limited time” and said that it is “a must-see performance.”

Im Kwon-taek is a leading figure in the Korean film industry. In his distinguished style he has made 101 movies, more than anyone else in Korean film history, and received the Geum-Gwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest award given by the government to artists, in 2002. The same year, he became the first Korean to win Best Director at the Festival De Cannes with his movie Chi-hua-seon. He also received an Honorary Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. He currently teaches at Dongseo University in Busan.

Im was highly impressed by the animated projections on the backdrop and the coordination of the artists, saying, “I want to praise Shen Yun’s stage art, the projection on the background. The background displays the imposing manner and majestic view of the Qing Dynasty Palace as well as the lifestyle of the flourishing Tang Dynasty. It is fantastic in many different settings! ...The slightest mistake made by the artists when they emerge and enter the background would be very apparent to the audience. However, the artists are so well-trained that they did it easily.”

Shen Yun's one-of-a-kind orchestra blends East and West like no other. The distinctly Chinese sound of ancient instruments, like the erhu, the pipa, and the suona horn, are blended with Western strings, percussion, woodwinds, and brass. Im felt that the two systems of musical instruments blended together perfectly, “They create a perfect combination, very harmonizing and exceptional.” Im said, “I felt that Shen Yun’s show is a must-see.”

Orchestra Director: A Sensational Performance

Mr. Kim Gi Nyeon, Director of Goyang Kantable Orchestra, praises Shen Yun show as a sensational performance.

After seeing the show with members of his orchestra and family members, Mr. Kim Gi Nyeon said, "The performance was beyond my imagination, and the synchronization of the images on the dynamic backdrops and the performers on the stage was perfect. This was indeed an outstanding performance."

Commenting on the orchestra, he said, "Their performance was very harmonious and very pleasing to the ear. In fact, I wanted to know what kind of musical instruments they used. It was a pity that I couldn’t see them, but their performance was indeed truly outstanding."

He added, "Shen Yun’s themes addressing human morality, ... should always be the eternal theme of human arts. But modern artists seem to have ignored it. Artistic performance should not simply focus on the art itself. Rather, it should reflect certain social issues in the form of art. Because ordinary people’s notions lag behind, I think if people can see this kind of show, they will become better.”

As an artist in Goyang City, Mr. Kim said, “I think more shows like Shen Yun were to be performed here, the cultural and artistic levels in Goyang would be further upgraded.”

Opera Director: Incomparable Performance

Kim Bong Im, Director of the Seoul Opera Company, has high praise for Shen Yun's seamless performance

Also among the celebrities attending the show was Kim Bong Im, Director of the Seoul Opera Company, who has performed opera for 35 years. After seeing Shen Yun for the first time, she had high praise for Shen Yun’s amazing achievements, saying, "This is a seamless and perfect performance. It is indeed incomparable."

Ms. Kim said that she has admired Shen Yun’s popularity for a long time, and she was deeply touched by the magnificent performance when she got to see the show in person this time. She said, "I was full of expectations about the show, because I know that it is a world-class performance. Throughout the show I was amazed by the high quality. To achieve this level, performers have to go through a lot of rigorous practice and training. Shen Yun’s artistic achievement is really top notch."

She said that even though she has performed opera for 35 years and has studied stage arts comprehensively, she was still amazed by Shen Yun’s perfect performance. "These years, I have traveled around the world to see and study costumes. Shen Yun’s performance was indeed perfect and incomparable in terms of dance, costumes, backdrops, and choreography,” she said.

She was very impressed with Shen Yun’s magnificence throughout the performance, saying, "The performance was very powerful, and the coherence of the overall performance was perfect. This kind of performance is indeed very impressive ... Its stage art, color of the costumes, and overall flow of the program were so natural and smooth." She said that she was sincerely very grateful to be able to attend the show at last. She explained, "If I didn’t see the show today, I would regret it in the future."