(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Wang Yingyang, Events Director of the Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre, was profoundly impressed by the Shen Yun Performing Arts show she attended at Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Theatre, British Columbia, on Saturday afternoon.

Wang Yingyang, events director of the Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre (NTDTV)

"I think the matinée today truly manifested the essence of our Chinese culture. I think Shen Yun can allow the audiences to really enjoy authentic traditional Chinese culture through dance, music, and songs. I think the show today was extremely good. I also admire the multiple ethnicities featured. There were the Tibetan dance, the Mongolian dance--I absolutely enjoyed them. I think today's Shen Yun Performing Arts show was a very, very high caliber performance among those that I've seen," she said after the show.

Because of her position within Vancouver's arts community, Ms. Wang has seen many Chinese shows, but regarding Shen Yun she said, "I think this is a very unique show, because it was very gentle; there was spirituality. The dances were quite different from others, depicting traditional stories, such as the famous Journey to the West. They linked all these stories together on stage for Westerners to learn about our tales. I think it was fantastic, it intrigued me."

Actress: "Beautifully Done!"

As the packed theater reflected Vancouver audiences' appreciation for the return of Shen Yun to their city, Ms. Clavell, an actress who has appeared in over 30 films and TV shows, was impressed by the show overall and the high caliber of the performers. "I think it's really beautifully done. The costumes are fantastic, the performances are really solid, as are all the different aspects, from the singing to the musical instruments to all of the dancing," she said.

Ms. Clavell, an actress who has appeared in over 30 films and TV shows

Ms. Clavell appreciated the classical Chinese dance and said the dance choreography was "beautiful, on-time, very precise, and lovely to see." She added, "I think [the stories] are presented really well. For each single scene that they're doing, it's pretty much all-encompassing."

Mr. Wills, a real estate investor who attended the Sunday matinée with Ms. Clavell, said he thought the show was "really beautiful. It's well put together. We're both enjoying it."

He especially liked the Shen Yun orchestra, unusual in that it combines Chinese and Western instruments. All the compositions are original and created to complement each dance. "The music's really nice, its fits in well, and has a very grand feeling. I like it. It's obviously a huge integral part of the show," said Mr. Wills.

Renowned Actress Touched by the Compassion of Shen Yun

Joy Coghill, renowned Canadian actress, director, and writer, joined the full-house audience in welcoming Shen Yun back to Vancouver.

Mrs. Coghill co-founded Holiday Theatre, the first children's theater company. She has received the Canadian Governor General's Performing Arts Award (2002) and is a member of the Order of Canada.

"I want to say that it was a very, very beautiful experience to be in the audience participating in the show. It's incredible! It's quite obvious you have worked from the inside out. Not just for us to believe what you are doing, but for your own spiritual growth. This comes out from beyond the pristine and communicates with everyone, I am sure," said Mrs. Coghill at the VIP reception.

She said, "It's a very beautiful show, and it is superbly designed and performed. There are little surprises everywhere that are just beautiful." Mrs. Coghill used one word to best describe the show: "Compassion."

Shen Yun Is "So Powerful and So Moving!"

Mr. Kirkham, a bank manager and city councillor, and his wife, a dance instructor, were given tickets to see Shen Yun as a gift from their children.

Mr. Kirkham, a bank manager and city councillor, and his wife, a dance instructor

After seeing the show for the first time, both were thoroughly impressed. "I think the costuming and the spectacle aspect of it is phenomenal," said Mrs. Kirkham, "I think the dancers make their work look much easier than it is. The audience has no idea how difficult what they are doing really is. The technique and precision of their spacing is unbelievable.

"I work with children and with young people who dance, and I know how difficult it is for them to have that special awareness," she added.

The dynamic, signature backdrops give the show a three-dimensional quality that the Kirkhams appreciated. "I thought that the backdrops were well-suited for each number. The interesting concept of the people floating out of the sky--I hadn't seen that before," said Mrs. Kirkham. She also found the music "very restful, a restful sound."

Mr. Kirkham said he could feel the "emotion and passion" in the voices of the singers. "It felt that when the people were singing, they sang with such conviction. I closed my eyes and just listened. Even though I didn't understand what they were saying it was so moving and so powerful."

In parting, Mr. Kirkham said he wanted to know more about the current situation for Falun Gong practitioners in China. "I am sure that there were a lot of people in the audience who already had an appreciation for what the [message] was all about. That was new to us. We came for the dance, and very much enjoyed the dance. But now we are thinking that we need to look into this. It definitely made us curious, and we will now do some research."

Mrs. Kirkham felt "inspired to go back to my little people, my dancers, and let them know what is out there, because it is so much more than we think sometimes."

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