Home | Archive | Travel | Videos | About

	story Maureen Scott It seems like a daunting task, yet somehow the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company have managed to capture the essence of 5,000 years of Chinese culture and civilization into a single two and a half hour musical extravaganza. The show is making a stop at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre January 19 – 22 as part of their world tour. Since its inception in 2006, Shen Yun set out with a mission to reclaim and renew the true, divinely inspired cultural heritage of China by bringing together the talents of world-class dancers, choreographers, singers and musicians. The ensemble group of 100 cast members have performed in over 130 cities on some of the greatest stages in the world including Radio City Music Hall in New York, the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles and the Palais de Congrés in Paris. The performance is a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colours and movement created by the cast of authentically costumed dancers and singers moving across the stage before spectacular backdrops, accompanied by the rich sounds of a full orchestra. The story-based numbers, introduced by a bilingual Chinese/English speaking narrator, have universal appeal. They are tales of love, courage, kindness, bravery and sometimes, sorrow. Shen Yung choreographers incorporate over 20 dynasties and 50 ethnic groups to create stories, which take us from the plains of Tibet, to the mountains of Mongolia or the forests of Yunnan. With 5,000 years of history and culture, there are a lot of tales to tell and that’s the reason the Shen Yun Performing Arts produce a new show each year, with original musical scores and choreography.   The meaning of Shen Yun may be as difficult to describe as producing a show of this magnitude. According to the Shen Yun program, “The words are meant to evoke a sense of wonder, magic and the divine. Shen is a general term for divine being. Chinese cosmology in fact, is replete with hundreds of deities, Buddas and Taoist immortals that play different roles and colour the canon of Chinese history with thousands of rich stories. Yun refers to the overall manner of a dancer, a dancer’s style and the meaning behind his or her movements.” Classical Chinese dance is known as one of the most demanding and expressive art forms, requiring years of rigorous, systematic training and strict standards to perfect the proper bearing and form to master the demanding movements, including leaps, flips, spins, turns and delicate physical gestures. “Dancers must be well versed in Chinese culture to achieve the bearing needed to bring the ancient legends and heroic figures to life,” says Vina Lee, company manager for Shen Yun. “The best dancers know they must infuse their movements with a certain inner spirit or light. To make this happen, they must refine their moral character. Only in this way can such a dancer hope to convey the transcendence and spiritual realm that is the very soul of Chinese culture.” Large-scale ensemble pieces are an impressive element of the Shen Yun show when dozens of dancers appear to move as one body across the stage.   “The audience enters a magical world where the good and the righteous always prevail and where beauty and purity have never been lost,” says Vina. “Perhaps it is the eternal stories of wisdom, compassion and destiny that inspire our vision of a brighter and more beautiful future.” Adding to the magic is a tour de force orchestra using a combination of Western and Chinese musical instruments. Based on Western foundation, the orchestra includes current and former members of many of the major orchestras in the U.S., Europe and China, that feature Chinese instruments such as the bamboo flute, the plucked-string pipa, and the soulful two-string erhu, which is capable of imitating sounds ranging from birds chirping to horses neighing. “It’s a performance 5,000 years in the making,” says Vina. “This show delights the senses, touches the heart and soul.” For tickets call the LAC Box Office at 905-306-6000, www.livingartscentre.ca. GL	ABOVE Ladies of the Manchu Court (from Shen Yun 2008 program), reflecting Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) which was ruled by the Manchus. Manchu women were known for their elegance, refinement and virtuous demeanor. Mongolian Chopsticks. Often set to a backdrop of a tall blue sky and vast, open grasslands, these dances emphasize big movements of the arms and their coordination with the wrists and shoulders. The Mystical Phoenix (from Shen Yun 2009 program): For millennia the phoenix has been esteemed as sacred and it is regarded as the king of all birds. The dancers express the majesty of the phoenix through their distinctive arm movements and quick, light steps. Copyright © Shen Yun Performing Arts. All photos included herein are owned by Shen Yun Performing Arts, and provided expressly to GoodLife Mississauga Magazine for use in print media. All rights reserved. No photos may be otherwise reproduced, stored, altered, or distributed without prior and express written permission.