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Friday, February 25, 2011

Shen Yun: Explosion of colour and flying acrobatics


Chinese performing arts group Shen Yun dazzles with gravity-defying choreography

The MIT Tech
- Ziwei Hao - ‎Review: Founded in 2006, the Shen Yun troupe is associated with the Falun Gong, a spiritual practice based on Buddhist and Taoist teachings. Almost all of its members practice Falun Gong. The name Shen Yun directly translates to “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Through dance and song, the group hopes to “revive the spirit of traditional Chinese culture,” according to their website.

Shen Yun dazzled its audience in its opening act. The first dance told the Buddhist legends of creation from the highest heavens down to the dusty plateaus of the Middle Kingdom. Female dancers dressed as golden flying apsaras floated across the stage, ushering in wushu acrobats dressed as deities in red armor. The dancers signaled the opening of the Heavenly Gates, displayed on a large CGI screen that stretched across the back of the stage. The animated backdrop showed these divine beings ascending to the heavens...

One of the most striking features was Shen Yun’s hundreds of colorful costumes. Each garment and headdress was hand-made and tailored to match themes of the dynasties and ethnic groups represented by the dances. More

The 2011 tour marks the group’s fifth season. Shen Yun will be performing in Vancouver, Canada April 1-3 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Details are on facebook

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