Shen Yun "Beautiful and Inspiring" Says Composer and Pianist (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) The Shen Yun Performing Arts Company displayed its consummate talent at the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, SUNY, in Westchester, New York, on September 12, 2010.

Michael Harrison and his wife Marina, at the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, SUNY, on the evening of Sept. 12.

Michael Harrison, an acclaimed composer and pianist, attended the Shen Yun performance with his wife Marina.

"I thought the show was very beautiful and very inspiring," said Mr. Harrison after the show.

"The way everything is coordinated on a grand scale, from the original production of the music and dance, to the very high level of performance, both musically and in the dance as well," he exclaimed.

The interplay of Western and Chinese instruments particularly impressed Mr. Harrison.

"I recognize the music, the types of melodies and pentatonic scales that I hear in traditional Chinese music that, of course, is all composed using Western notation and a combination of a Western orchestra with some traditional Chinese instruments. I think that's a very effective combination," he said.

Mr. Harrison's wife, Marina, an art historian and independent researcher, said she "absolutely" loved Shen Yun.

"I thought the patterns were beautiful! The colors, the movements, the simplicity of some of the movements, were just so beautifully executed that everything was in unison. It made the whole thing so special," she said.

"The simplest movements, done in unison, created such beauty and patterns as well, were just mesmerizing," concluded Mrs. Harrison.

Investment Firm Director: "It Was a Wonderful Experience!"

Mr. Mullane, who attended the show with his family.

Mr. Mullane, managing director of an investment firm in New York, attended the show accompanied by his family.

"We enjoyed it very much. I took my whole family and it was a great chance for them to get exposure to Chinese culture through Chinese dance. It was a wonderful experience!" Mr. Mullane enthused.

"We loved it ... we loved the colors, the animation, the narrative. It all brought the show together very nicely. The orchestra was fantastic, it was very authentic Chinese music and it created the whole ambiance, everything came together," he explained.

Mr. Mullane appreciated knowing a little of the history behind each dance set, as set out in the program guide.

"It told a little story of the history of each story and talked a little about Shen Yun and Chinese dance. ... Before I came to the show I didn't know anything about the show. It was a great way to learn culture, through a very visual way."

Mr. Mullane was impressed with the entire Shen Yun performance and said that he would definitely return again next year.

Classical Pianist Describes Shen Yun As an "Ethereal Experience"

After seeing Shen Yun perform on August 22, 2010, Jerry Becker, a classical pianist and retired chemistry teacher, decided to see it for a second time.

"I said to my wife this is one of the most unique experiences we've had as lovers of dance, and we were just mesmerized by the beauty of it; not just by the dancers themselves, but by the entire experience--the orchestra, the background, and everything," Mr. Becker said.

"To come back twice, for me, is unusual. Even on Broadway with all the shows we've seen," he added.

"I feel like I'm sitting in a dream, and it takes me away from reality, what's going on out there as opposed to the beauty and serenity of what's going on [in there]. It's a waking dream, but a positive one," Mr. Becker said after the show.

"I walk out of here like I'm floating a bit, but man, we all need that," he joked.

Mr. Becker thought the backdrops were stunning.

"I've never seen a background done like that, I mean even on Broadway," he exclaimed. "I've seen backgrounds, but never where things are moving all over the place and coming at you like three dimensional. It's just extraordinary, and that orchestra was just incredible. Just that fusion of it, synergy, I guess."

The way the orchestra managed to perfectly harmonize both Western and Chinese instruments, left Mr. Becker in awe.

"It's just ethereal," he said. "Everything about it, this whole thing, is ethereal."

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/42514/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/42598/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/42506/