The show was very colourful and vibrant, with costumes, dance ribbons, backdrops, props. Started out with 2 MC's who were bi-lingual, introducing the theme of the show. The acts included many types of dances, opera singers, all fully accompanied by a live band. The backdrop, although simple, was very well-designed and digitally executed so that the performers could seemingly fly off into the horizon and then back hop back again to the stage in one seamless effect ala chinese opera in the digital age...
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against chinese culture, but the show was just so blatantly Falungong propaganda! Albeit, performance was good, dancers very skilled, music impeccable, but the propaganda too strong...Falungong is a religious movement in China which has been banned due to its increasing popularity and possible threat to the authority of the Chinese government. Many members were severely persecuted and sent to detention camps for brainwashing. There were outright abuse of human rights in that part of Chinese history, and whoever backed this performance (which is New York-based by the way) must have been a combination of angry locals and provoked foreigners. It's a no-brainer of course, you won't be able to watch this show at all in China! But in many countries elsewhere, it has gone far and wide.
So, on the one hand, you have these beautiful and uplifting displays of Chinese cultural arts and history, their myths and beliefs interwoven with strong and loud stands of the Dafa set of beliefs and displays of cruelty of their persecutors highlighted in red.
To non-Chinese audiences, Shen Yun and its classical dance and songs must have been so refreshingly different and unique, something they've never been exposed to before. Because I have been exposed to these performances, it didn't overwhelm me as much, but nevertheless, I still enjoyed getting connected with chinese culture again and embracing the "pride" of a heritage that is springing forth from many years of rich history.
