(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts presented three memorable performances at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary on April 13-14, 2009.

Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw, both British figure skating champions and European medallists, truly appreciated the talent and artistry that went into the Shen Yun production. "We're all figure skaters, so we appreciate this art form, the costuming, the dancing, the artistic side of everything. We really enjoyed it," said Mrs. Bradshaw.

The Bradshaws at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Sharing his wife's enthusiasm, Mr. Bradshaw said, "It was all very impressive, very, very artistic, very elegant. The costumes were gorgeous, very colourful. It had deep meaning and the effects were amazing with the costumes. We really enjoyed the whole show. We were really enthralled with the show," he said. Mrs. Bradshaw added, "We appreciate the precision. Good technique."

Mrs. Bradshaw commended the show for its spiritual side, while her husband explained further that, "this spiritually brought you into your soul, and it brought out some culture, refinement, and respect for art, and we found it very uplifting. We don't see many shows like this that gives you that sense of sincerity, and we really enjoyed it."

Ms. Matley, a theater performer who played major roles in such productions as "Jesus Christ Super Star" and "Evita", was "blown away" by the talent of the Shen Yun vocalists. "It was mesmerizing. ... The singing was incredible. The soloists are amazing. I was blown away by them," Ms. Matley said.

Ms. Matley and her friend Jerod

Ms. Matley said, "When they walk, they floated across the stage. You could barely hear them. It was like they had a wave with them. It was magical. I thought it was really phenomenal."

She continued, "Amazing. It's extremely beautiful. The talent, the flexibility, the strength of the dancers performing is incredible. It's very disciplined, very precise. You can see everyone is in sync with one another and their focus is altogether. It's really quite peaceful. There was a peaceful energy on the stage and I enjoyed every bit of it."

She thought the backdrops were "very high-tech, very colorful, very creative." "I've never seen this technology before. I love the way the stories are associated with the backdrops, especially when the Buddha comes out of the backdrop, and then he pops out from behind the stage. That's really neat."

Ms. Matley talked about her favorite dance, saying, "I love the "Dance of the Yi" with the colorful skirts and the way it was executed. The way they used their costumes to move just blows me away. It just presents a wonderful picture of art on stage as they are dancing. They are using movements with their costumes. When they use the fan and open it up into a flower--that was just so beautiful."

"We had an amazing time," she said.

Ms. Johnston, director of news and public affairs in Calgary for a major television network, said that attending Shen Yun should be a priority for anyone needing a lift to their spirits and a little inspiration.

Ms. Johnston (R) and her friend

"...this is a gift to yourself, and this is a gift for the senses. So I think coming out and feeling the joy [of Shen Yun] is worth it."

Ms. Johnston appreciated the wealth of Chinese culture and history that Shen Yun "brought to life on stage," but noted the range and universality of the messages as well. "The inspiration is that the stories are for everyone. They're not just for the Chinese. ... [Shen Yun has stories about] enlightenment, the difficulties, and the struggles. You see good triumph over evil. You see compassion and empathy, and all the things you need to do as a person in the world," she explained.

When asked to pick her favorite performance, Ms. Johnston replied, "I think that visually there was just so much beauty in what we saw with the delightful dancers, the colors, the fans, the expressions. It would be very hard to pick just one performance."

She described the performance entitled "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution" as "a conviction, and a belief, and the oppression for that belief."

Ms. Johnston praised the dancers, saying, "The dancing was very impressive, the choreography was amazing. It was a beautiful, delightful display of color, coordination, and incredible athleticism by all the dancers. To do everything--to be able to do all the tumbling moves as well as the dances, it was great."

She described the show as "magnificent," and said she would "absolutely be recommending it to friends." "Come see it! That's gotta' be the only message," she said.

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15268/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15265/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/15260/