[The Epoch Times, March 13, 2022](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Mai Lei in London, UK) March 12, 2022,Shen Yunworld art troupe in ukHammersmith Apollo Theatre, London(London Eventim Apollo) performed two performances, both of which were sold out, and Shen Yun artists made two curtain calls. Every time the host introduced Shen Yun Orchestra, the atmosphere at the scene reached a boiling enthusiasm.
London is an art capital that perfectly integrates the ancient and the modern. There are museums, galleries, art schools, fashion weeks, musicals, trendy brands here…the artistic atmosphere is everywhere.Many people in the art world, such as the film and television industry, and elites in the entertainment industry, came here to watchShen Yunand full of praise.
Winning Producer: Shen Yun RenaissanceTraditional CultureVery important
“Shen Yun RevivalTraditional CultureVery important”, British cultural entrepreneur Faisal Shaukat praised Shen Yun’s efforts to inherit history, revitalize traditional culture and artistic production.
Shaukat, the son of renowned Pakistani film pioneer Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, is the award-winning producer of the renowned London play The Great Gatsby, which is performed in the world’s top theatres. He has worked with the English Chamber Orchestra, backed by Prince Charles, and with ISP Events, a company founded by Shaukat, with embassies and their cultural institutions.
Shaukat has repeatedly said, “It is very important to revive the culture. Especially for the new generation, whether they are Chinese or foreigners, they need to know what China (tradition) really is like.”
Shaukat praised Shen Yun’s performance as “very beautiful” and looks forward to seeing more stories. He also mentioned Chinese culture before communism, “I really hope Shen Yun can bring a new perspective to those who only know the present but not the past.” He believes that Shen Yun’s performances convey “universal values.”
Along with Shaukat, Charmaine Wohlmann is an actress and producer known for several of her 2016 productions.
Wohlmann, who has extensive stage experience, is very fond of Shen Yun’s music, singing and dancing. She wants to congratulate Shen Yun’s bass singer, “The singing is very beautiful, very beautiful and beautiful, I like it very much.” She said, “The live orchestra Playing with a mix of eastern and western instruments is excellent and soothing.”
She praised, “The dance is very beautiful and magnificent, and it’s nice to see a different culture.” “The level of dance is very, very good, and they obviously train very hard.” She felt that she still had “something lacking.” .
Wohlmann said, “It’s very sad to see that China still has problems and beliefs are still restricted,” Wohlmann said. But Shen Yun is really presenting the truth, and she thinks it’s good.
Senior Landscape Artist: Shen Yun shows the scene of the Creator’s coming, which is touching
“The background of the show is amazing and attractive. The colors are so beautiful, (I) really inspired.” James Manning, a veteran landscape artist, praised. “The scene of the Creator’s coming is very moving.”
James Manning is a senior painter at Dragon Smoke Construction, a set production company that has been operating for more than 20 years for custom backgrounds for film and television dramas, fashion photography and other video works. Manning took his mother Pat to the show.
Both mother and son felt the same way, and Shen Yun left a deep impression on them whether it was the dance, the background, the music, or the connotation of the performance. Manning said that as a landscape painter, Shen Yun’s color matching does give people a lot of inspiration. “The backdrop for the show was amazing, it was very appealing. The colors were gorgeous, it was beautiful, it was really[inspired],” he said.
Manning also said, “The music was great, and the dancing was uplifting.” Pat agreed, “The music was very pleasant. The musician who played the erhu was amazing, and he could do it so beautifully with only two strings. , it’s incredible.”
Manning believes that Shen Yun’s mission to revive five thousand years of traditional culture is of great significance. He said: “The performance tells some fables and historical stories. I think it is extremely important to stick to traditions and revive these traditional cultures.”
He also said, “The last scene, when the tsunami came, it was like the (critical) moment of the end of the world, when the Creator came, this scene was very touching.” His mother also said: “It’s really touching and breathtaking.”
Actors praise: Shen Yun shows Chinese culture before communism
“It’s uplifting,” “it’s a very lively performance that enhances every feeling you have at that point in time.” TV actor and fitness model William Newton spoke highly of Shen Yun’s performance.
He watched the performance with his friends, senior IT expert Merve Silk and history teacher Amy Sibley, who were struck by the essence of traditional culture conveyed in Shen Yun art.
Shen Yun’s performance shows China before communism, and it also exposes the CCP’s persecution of practitioners.
In this regard, Newton believes that the CCP’s persecution of believers in today’s society is “pretty terrible.” “When the persecution came out, it was almost like a slap in the face (to the CCP). I was like, wow! Everything I saw tonight, there was a way of life that I didn’t want – communist persecution. “
Silk agrees, “They (Shen Yun) have the courage to interpret the story in a dance way, which is amazing.”
Newton went on to say that the persecuted girl was finally redeemed by God, and this scene shocked him, “Shen Yun’s storyline and arrangement are exactly what the audience needs, no more and no less, for example, the girl was rescued by the Creator, I felt like an explosion in that moment; the moment she was brought back to life was exactly what the audience needed.”
As a person in the entertainment industry, Newton believes that the expressiveness of the Shen Yun dancers is “amazing”. “I did notice the expressions of the actors, which is great! They are very flexible to play any role that the plot requires.”
He said that he knew very well that Shen Yun actors must have spent a lot of time to portray their characters in order to achieve such naturalness. Silk responded, “Yeah, the actors are very expressive.”
History teacher Amy Sibley said, “I really like the way music, music and dance complement each other. I think music is like the soul of it all for me, and the orchestra is amazing.”
Responsible editor: Xia Jing#