Shen Yun ‘Made Me Feel Lighter and Free,’ Says Company GM
SYDNEY, Australia—Watching Shen Yun Performing Arts was a magical experience for Michael Close, who is general manager of Carter & Osborne Electrical. He attended Shen Yun with his wife Amanda Langlands, an award-winning residential sales consultant with PRD Real Estate.
“For me, I walked away from the whole [performance] just feeling much lighter and free, and it was just a really beautiful experience for all of us,” Mr. Close said of Shen Yun at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on April 29.
“We’re really impressed,” he said. “Beautiful colours, very vibrant. The skill and choreography of each of the dancers was wonderful.”
Mr. Close said he was in admiration of all the male and female dancers, who performed with seamless ease difficult flips and tumbling turns that takes years and dedicated training to master.
“We saw the ladies dancing with the lotus flowers—very majestic as they’re moving across the floor as each of the sequences [opened] out. They were dancing on the clouds, it was fantastic,” he said.
“[The] men [had] incredible flexibility and strength. To be able to do most of the moves they were doing was incredible.
“I was very much in a trance for most of the time we were watching.”
Classical Chinese dance, an art form that has been refined over thousands of years to become one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world, forms the heart of New York-based Shen Yun’s performances.
Mrs. Langlands said she was reminded of a popular show when watching the Monkey King performance.
“We grew up with ‘Monkey Magic,’ the TV show. For us, it was very exciting to be able to watch them perform,” she said.
Shen Yun showcases classical and modern stories from China’s 5,000-year-old history. Many of these stories, from legends, folklore, and to more modern times, depict timeless virtues such as benevolence and loyalty.
Mr. Close said he was reminded of traditional values when seeing the lyrics on-screen during the soprano’s performance.
“I feel like the message has been very clear for me, it’s that if you treat people well and be kind, that’s what will come back to you; that this is a whole orchestra of all of us being one, and sharing it together,” he said.
Mr. Close said he left the performance feeling uplifted.
“For me, I walked away from the whole thing just feeling much lighter and free, and it was just a really beautiful experience for all of us.”
Reporting by NTD and Henry Jom.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
