A response to The Buffalo News’ Review of May 27th’s Shen Yun performance
By: Cathy Skora*
I am puzzled how the reviewer of Shen Yun Dance Company for the Buffalo News’ Gusto on Friday May 28, 2010 missed the entire point and theme of this performance. The evening was rich with Chinese dance, music, and culture. The dancers were flawless and without exception obviously superbly trained in dance and theater. The choreography was an interesting array of organic patterns, using multi levels, highlighting soloists, reflecting theme and music, and offered a visual utopia in costume design and the use of fabric and other props with movement.
A basic tenant of art from the beginning of time has been to communicate about the world around us. This is a not an artistic downfall. It is the job of an artist to communicate thoughts and ideas.
This was done very well by Shen Yun with a universal theme of potential both individually and collectively. The performance by Shen Yun Dance Company was not religious propaganda. It was a lovely evening of cultural dance at its finest, using a theme of Falun Dafa’s principles of “Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance”. This theme was performed elegantly and flawlessly by well trained dancers. The costuming was oriental, not “over costumed” as stated in the review.
If we approach art as open minded consumers we appreciate and learn from it making connections and leaps of thought that assist us in connecting new and different ideas and viewpoints to our own world. In order to fully understand something we need to look at it in context. This performance was a Chinese cultural expression that had a universal theme we can all relate to. That is not propaganda…that is art.
And yes, performing groups do market themselves with merchandise, programs, and public relations personnel. And yes, this marketing will be pertinent within the cultural context of the performing group. This should not come as a surprise to a reviewer.
As global citizens [it] is our job to accept, welcome, learn ,and grow through the interconnecting opportunities available to us as never before in the global arena that is our world. How lucky we are [that] right here in Buffalo, New York [we are] able to experience the richness of what the world has to offer by our neighbors and by being exposed to world class cultural arts as presented by Shen Yun at Shea’s.
“When we contemplate the diversity of spiritual traditions on this planet we can understand that each addresses the specific needs of different human beings, because there is so much diversity in human mentality and spiritual inclination. Yet, fundamentally, all spiritual traditions perform the same function, which is to help us tame our mental state, overcome our negativities and perfect our inner potential.” –Dali Lama
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Lead image courtesy of Shea’s Performing Arts Center
*Cathy Skora is the Executive Director of Folkloric
Productions Dance Co., Inc