(Clearwisdom.net) Some of Calgary's distinguished community leaders attended a VIP reception following the final 2009 show in Calgary by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Monday night.

Among them were two people who help to make the Calgary Stampede the world-famous event that it is. Ms. Metz is a coordinator for one of the Stampede's most popular extravaganzas--the Grandstand Show.

Ms. Metz highly praised Shen Yun, "It was wonderful, I loved it. It was so beautiful, inspirational, the choreography was spectacular."

What she most enjoyed about Shen Yun were the dancers. "They just were so lovely and so precise. It was breathtaking, they were just really, really spectacular." Ms. Metz added that she appreciated seeing classical Chinese dance. "You could see their classical training. It was just breathtaking, I loved it."

Ms. Metz's friend and former advertising manager for the Stampede, Mr. Jeal, has also worked as a television writer and producer. He said, "I thought it was outstanding, inspirational, but very delicate and pretty and colourful. The choreography is amazing--it's spot on. Everything they do is together [synchronized]. My hat goes off to the choreographers and the dancers because it's so precise-- it's beautiful."

Mr. Jeal added, "I think the unison and the tightness of the choreography, and the togetherness and how beautifully it's done with hand motions, movements, and subtleness and colour."

Ms. Laing, the director and owner of a dance academy near Calgary, was treated by some of her dance students to see Shen Yun on Sunday. "I think it's fabulous! It's a great way to spend Easter."

Ms. Laing, the director and owner of a dance academy near Calgary, and one of her students

Ms. Laing has danced for over 30 years and now teaches a variety of dance forms including ballet, musical theatre, lyrical, highland and tap. She has also performed on television, and in theatre productions. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Drama from the University of Calgary.

This was the first time she had seen Shen Yun, She said, "I brought my husband and he has never seen anything like this before either, so it was nice. The precision is amazing. I absolutely love tradition, it's very valuable. In this age, it needs to be promoted more and I am really, really glad that the show came to Calgary, I think it's wonderful. I wish more of my dancers can come and see this."

Ms. Laing commented, "One of the things I really like is how they walk. I like their heel-toe walking, and it just looks like they are floating. I really like that."

"I like the dynamics of having a live orchestra because it just brings out the richness of the movements and it's married together and it blends [with the movements]. The dancers have the same kind of energy that the orchestra was portraying and that was very nice to see."

She also said, "I love the performers' faces. I like how animated they were when they were telling a story.... I am always telling my dancers to dance from their heart, dance from your heart, show me how you love to dance, and I totally felt that. I was sitting in the third row from the front and I can see every little intricacy of their eyebrows and just how detailed every part of their body was while they are performing and I loved to see it."

Mr. Willer, an oil executive who owns a drilling company, particularly enjoyed the dance entitled "Welcoming Spring." "All the choreography and everything that goes into it is very good. I liked it very much," he said.

Mr. Willer, an oil executive

The sound of the erhu was new to him. The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument that resembles a two-stringed violin. It is known for the melancholic quality of its sound. "I'm surprised. The good range of tone coming out of it, for a two-stringed instrument, something we don't have."

Mr. Willer found, "China has [that] which we don't have here, those old traditions. I enjoy all of the colour and the dancing. The music is very enlightening, just gives you an uplifting feeling, very uplifting."

Mr. Carter, a writer, invited his mother to attend the show with him. "[Shen Yun] is very interesting. There's a lot to be learned and understood. I think the people who are performing are very disciplined, and the music and everything else is very well [done]--put you in the setting of Asia."

Mr. Carter noted that the themes of hope, faith, and moral virtues run through the performances, and said, "It seems the theme of this program has to do with making the right choice even when in difficulty."

Shen Yun Dancers Perform with Discipline, Passion

The Calgary banker Mr. Sanbek attended the show with his wife, an administrative assistant who works for Wheatland County.

Mrs. Sandbek especially enjoyed "Welcoming Spring," a lively fan dance featuring quick footwork and stunning colours. "The beautiful colours and the fans' movement [were] very graceful. I find it quite powerful, and the dancers are wonderful. They have wonderful expressions. Their feet are so quiet, so delicate, when they're dancing across the floor, you can't even hear them when they land."

Mr. and Mrs. Sanbek

Mr. Sanbek noted that "it's subtle movement, but there's power in the movement and it's very interpretive dance. You can tell they're disciplined, but yet they have passion for the dance as well."

His favourite piece was the erhu solo entitled "Hope," performed by master erhu artist Mei Xuan. "She's just amazing. The erhu--I found that very moving, very beautiful. You can hear it in the background right now."

Referring to the state-of-the-art backdrops that added depth and grandeur to each dance, Mrs. Sandbek said, "It's very interesting. I wasn't expecting something like that, having the spirits come down, and then they pop up from behind the steps."

"That's another layer of presentation," said Mr. Sandbek.

Source:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15313/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15322/
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http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15332/