Justice Department Official: Shen Yun "Absolutely amazing! I've never experienced anything like it before!" (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts won the hearts of audience members on its seven-show tour at the Arts Centre State Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, May 25-30, 2010.

Barbara Novak-Rowe, a state government official, with her mother and mother-in-law at the Saturday matinee on May 29

Barbara Novak-Rowe, a state government official for the Justice Department, attended the show with her mother and mother-in-law.

"We loved it ... it was something very different. It's very, very different to what we typically would see and hear. It's amazing!" enthused Ms. Novak-Rowe.

"I remember a couple of the dance sets. One was 'Mongolian Hospitality' and one was something out of the clouds ['Fairies of the Clouds']. It's just like a visual feast," she recalled.

Ms. Novak thought Shen Yun was a very unique cultural experience.

"I think it's such a nice cultural experience for everyone in the audience, as well as for us. It's an opportunity to tell our friends and families about what we've seen. It's just simply amazing! I've never experienced anything like it before.

"It's visual and a real sensual feast ... the kind of movements you have there, as well as all the costumes, and the choreography--it's just absolutely amazing," she said.

Ms. Novak-Rowe's mother-in-law, Ms. Eniol Nowe, thought the show was "brilliant!" "I really enjoyed it."

Although she is a big fan of Australian ballet, she felt Shen Yun offered something much more.

"To see something completely different was a revelation. And I'm so glad I came today. The costuming, the whole production, the different music--it was a revelation."

Fashion industry couple inspired by Shen Yun

Shirley Keon of Shirley Keon Couture and her husband, Philip, both in the fashion industry

Fashion designer Shirley Keon of Shirley Keon Couture and her husband, Philip, also in the fashion industry, attended the show after a friend gave them tickets.

Ms. Keon said that she "thoroughly enjoyed the show. I thought the costuming and the sets were sensational. I was most impressed.

"I love the way they used their gowns as part of the act, I thought it was just gorgeous. And the way they worked with the music! This is our first experience here, but it was fantastic. We wouldn't hesitate to come back," exclaimed Ms. Keon.

She said that she was very inspired by the design of the dancer's costumes.

Her husband agreed. "I'm involved in the fashion industry as well, with jewelery and so forth, so the accessories on the garments were just sensational, just beautiful ... beautifully made."

Ms. Keon talked about her impression of the overall design of the sets and the costuming.

"The color is sensational. ... The opening scenes with that very pretty pink and lime green, and then the set ... the beautiful colors. We thought the sets― simple as they were―were extremely well done," she said.

She also enjoyed the live orchestra, with its perfect blend of traditional Chinese and classical Western instruments.

"The music was brilliant," she said. "I love the orchestra, the live music and female conductor, which I was most impressed with."

Mr. Keon was thoroughly entertained by the performance of the erhu, a traditional two-stringed instrument with very rich sounds. "It was beautiful. It's the sort of music we don't often hear in Australia ... it's unique to us here," he said.

Ms. Keon concluded by saying that she would highly recommend the show to her friends and family, adding, "I'm sorry that it's finishing tomorrow."

Actor and singer: Shen Yun is "very beautiful and artistic and lovely!"

Frances Hudson, part of Melbourne's Human Sacrifice Theatre

Also in the audience was Frances Hudson, actor, singer, and member of Melbourne's Human Sacrifice Theatre.

She thought that Shen Yun "was so graceful and beautiful and spiritual and emotional. And it has integrity. And I love folk music and folk dance anyway. It's just got a lovely feeling of reality to it, and I'm enjoying it very much."

She continued: "This is so beautifully presented. It's very beautiful and artistic and lovely! The costumes are beautiful and graceful. And I love the backdrops, too, and the mountains of Tibet, and the Mongolian steppe."

Former ballerina: Shen Yun has "absolutely world-class dancers"

Former ballerina Kristine Whorlaw with her husband, Mr. Trousdale.

Kristine Whorlaw, a former ballerina, thought Shen Yun was "absolutely wonderful," adding that it had "absolutely world class dancers."

"I was stunned, quite frankly. The dancing was amazing, quite marvelous, really. I think the fluidity of the movement of the female dancers, mixed with the vibrant acrobatics of the male dancers ... oh, the coordination was just fantastic!

"I don't know who gets them all together and does all the training, but I think they deserve a medal," she said.

Her husband, Mr. Trousdale, sensed that there was a subtle message that weaved its way through each of the performances, but he could not articulate exactly what it was.

"It was a message that was ... it was a subtle message, but I think it was given with a tremendous amount of feeling and sincerity. That's what I felt. It wasn't really pushing the theme, or the idea, but the message came out clearly, very simply, and it was very nicely done."

His wife agreed, saying that the feeling "was extremely sincere."

"I think the audience would have been impressed with that. And I think the message gave the impression that the members of the company were very sincere and dedicated, and really believed in what they're doing and in their own personal beliefs."

Ms. Whorlaw said she was "extremely impressed" not only with the emotional content of the dance sets, but also the technique and choreography.

She continued, "I had to sit upright in my chair, as my husband will tell you, and look at some of the choreography, because, as he said, it had great fluidity and agility and ease. I think it was extremely impressive."

Melbourne's Arts Centre State Theatre on May 29.

The use of props and clothing in the dances, really appealed to the couple, with Ms. Whorlaw saying, "I always love the Chinese effect of the long sleeves and the fans. That's always something that I think captures Western audiences, particularly that wonderful traditional influence. And you know, at the beginning with the lanterns, that was very, very exciting."

Mr. Trousdale thoroughly enjoyed "Handkerchiefs," saying, it was a "wonderful episode with the female dancers with those circles of silk, which they spun around... the handkerchiefs, absolutely amazing! I don't know how they did this.

"I was just impressed with it all; all very young, as well. I'm looking at it from the perspective of being an old man, but they all seem ... young."

Noting the technical proficiency of the performers, Ms. Whorlaw said, the dancers "were obviously well-trained, maintained a high fitness level and were extremely supple and agile with great buoyancy in their jumps and so on.

"It was extremely impressive and perfectly synchronized, which was also very impressive and very hard to do with such a large company and so many dancers on the stage."

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36417/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36422/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36424/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36432/