Honolulu: District Manager Amazed by Shen Yun's Color and Pageantry (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) As part of its 2010 World Tour, Shen Yun Performing Arts returned to the Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, Hawaii for four shows on June 4-6, 2010.

An appreciative audience in the Blaisdell Concert Hall, June 4, 2010

Marc Nakamoto, a local sponsor of the Shen Yun performance and district manager for an international food service company, found the show "very interesting" and "enjoyable."

He explained, "We see a lot of different culture here but nothing like this. For me it was very surprising to see the different types of dances and I guess the color and the pageantry was really amazing."

Mr. Nakamoto also enjoyed the music, saying, "The instruments were very impressive too. I think more so because I've never seen them, so I think that was a new experience for me."

Noting the myriad aspects of Chinese culture, he continued, "I may not know every bit of culture, but they [the emcees] kind of explained that. I think that was very important, at least for people who don't know or who are not into the culture and don't know too much about it. They too, can enjoy it and get a little snippet of what is going on."

Mr. Nakamoto said that he appreciated the way the emcees introduced each performance to the audience, "And even after getting the little narrative and then even seeing the performances, one thing that was good, was that you could see the stories played out. So through the dances, you could actually understand the story. This was very good."

"You know, sometimes you can go to some dance or performance where you know there is a storyline, but you may not know exactly what is going on. So I think this way is very interesting, because you could see the story and actually understand it."

Referring to the diverse ethnicities portrayed in the show, such as the dance sets, "Tibetan Dance of Praise," "Mongolian Hospitality," and "In a Miao Village," Mr. Nakamoto explained, "I guess another thing that was very interesting, was to see the different areas or regions and how different the costuming and the performances were. Very unique, something that I have not seen before."

When asked if he would recommend the show to his friends, Mr. Nakamoto enthused, "Definitely! I will tell people that this is something that they haven't experienced and I think that they should experience it! So I think in that sense, I would encourage people who haven't been to it to definitely come."

Shen Yun Performances: "Each one is special"

Jim and Liz Olsen, local residents of Hawaii, enjoyed the Shen Yun Performing Arts first of four performances, on its 2010 World Tour, in the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu

Also in the audience was Jim Olsen, an ophthalmologist, who attended the show with his wife, Liz, a family services specialist employed by the US Army.

"The backdrops are nice. They add to the scene and are very shiny," explained Dr. Olsen. Commenting on the different performances, he said, "I think each one is special. Each one shows the diverse cultural heritage of China. So they're all special.

"In some of the dances ... I would have thought it was more Russian or some other dance, but yet it's Chinese. So, it's like, 'Wow!'" He continued, "Most of the time when you see Chinese culture, we see dragons in Chinatown--those kinds of things--and so you don't actually see ... this kind of dance."

Mrs. Olsen discussed her feelings about Shen Yun, saying, "I'm amazed. The costumes and the dances--it's breathtaking. It's really breathtaking." She added, "The music is beautiful, the choreography, the costumes, the places ... the expressions."

She concluded, "I think it's kind of interesting to see the combination of dance and music. The jumps are absolutely amazing, just beautiful!"

Shen Yun is Phenomenal

The audience in Hawaii's Blaisdell Concert Hall on Sunday June 6

Kevin Burns, a TSA personnel training manager at the Honolulu International Airport, attended the Shen Yun performance with his wife, Angie, a director of operations for a company in the environmental remediation industry.

The couple said that they thoroughly enjoyed the show. "It was phenomenal and I enjoyed the singers. We enjoyed all of the music, all of it," exclaimed Mr. Burns.

Mrs. Burns said, "I really enjoyed the singers," with her husband adding, "You can really tell the quality of their voices."

Mrs. Burns was extremely impressed by the color and texture of the costumes, musing, "I can only imagine how expensive they were!"

The couple said that they were very pleased that they had an opportunity to see the show.

Shen Yun is a Lesson in Chinese Culture

Mitch and Debs Dudoit at the Neal Blaisdell Center

Mitch Dudoit, a construction manager for a large national company, and his wife, Debs, a branch administrator for the same company, came to experience the beauty of Shen Yun.

"I think it's beautiful, the dance, and I love the scenery and the background," Mrs. Dudoit said.

"I like the pictures and the style of dancing. I'm learning a little bit of culture because I really don't know a whole lot about it."

Ms. Dudoit noted the way the female dancers appeared to float as they moved across the stage, saying, "It looks like they're skating, their feet go so fast."

Mr. Dudoit appreciated the vibrant colors of the costumes. "I like the colors. They're nice and very bright, vibrant colors," he said.

In discussing the orchestra, Mr. Dudoit exclaimed, "The music is excellent. It's amazing that all of this is actually live music."

Mrs. Dudoit thought the live orchestra coordinated unbelievably well with the dancers on stage, so much so that "it sounds like it's programmed!"

"Even the lightning ... all that ... everything is timed so well. The singers, even the piano player and the soprano and the baritone."

The couple said that Shen Yun is a modern lesson in ancient Chinese culture. "It gives me some insight into the Chinese spirituality. When they talk about going back 5,000 years, that's kind of interesting that whatever their beliefs are, they have been following that for that many years," said Mr. Dudoit.

Sources:

http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36826/
http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36840/
http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36897/
http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/36863/