Shen Yun performers
I am a hermit, people. And this might be news to you, but I am also frequently wrong.
The most recent case in point: At Christmas my youngest sister gave the entire extended family tickets to Shen Yun. For those of you who might not have heard of it, it’s a touring musical performance featuring traditional Chinese dance, gorgeous costumes, opera, and thinly veiled opinions about the present Chinese government. It also held little appeal for me at first glance.
I mean, the need to be among hundreds of people? On a school night? For hours? In truth, only painful filial obligation got me into fancy duds and to the auditorium.
Here are a few random observations engendered by the evening:
1. If those women are any indication of what was valued at the time, I would have been a dismal failure in pre-industrial China. They are floaty, peeps. Floaty. That is to say, while I’ve never lumbered except when pregnant, next to them, I’d feel like a perma-hippo on steroids. Word to the wise: If you are a pale-face, like me, and a few pounds overweight, do NOT go home and look in the mirror immediately after a Shen Yun performance. I’m just sayin’.
2. The same qualities which permit sound waves to travel without interference — advantageous in an auditorium — also mean efficient dispersal of gases.
3. Someone near me had beans for dinner.
4. A lot of them.
5. Once you’ve seen one political protest set to music in a foreign language, and danced en pointe by floaty people, you’ve kind of seen them all. Especially if you are fourteen and find Cohen brothers’ movies the embodiment of fun.
Overall though, if you were to ask me if you should go, I’d give you pistol fingers and say, “You betcha.” I had my eyes opened a bit about the diversity of Chinese culture. (Shameful to say, because with one billion people, a country spanning several climes, and a sea of religions and cultures, how could this be otherwise?) I was entertained in a family-friendly setting. Most important of all, if I ever tire of my blog’s present decor, I found a whole new color scheme I love. 🙂
Just keeping it real, guys. Keeping it real. 😉
That looks like serious awesomeness.
It really was a wonderful evening, Jess. If it comes near you, go. The Youtube videos are a little different than what we saw, but comparable. I forgot to include it above, but they had a tenor whose tone rivalled Pavarotti, IMHO.
Wow. That does look really gorgeous. I think I may be jealous, though as a rule I’m not huge on Opera. I do love chines costumes and dance though!
~Lia
I think you’d love Riverdance too 🙂
I love your advice not to look in the mirror after the performance. I lived in southern Spain for a year & those chicks had the same effect on me. They made me feel like a gigantic, pale tub!
The show looks beautiful. I’m glad you could enjoy it despite your seat neighbor’s beans. 🙂
Oh, I agree with Donna, Riverdance rocked. Sounds like a gorgeous evening.
This post made me laugh out loud! Glad you got out and had a little culture, but I hear ya on being a hermit. Seems lately the only people I have patience for are the ones in my MS.
No. 1 rules me out. No.’s 2-4 underline that fact.
No. 5 would probably rile me a bit, but it does look like a beautiful show.
Beans and all, I don’t think I’ve ever really regretted going out for an evening of dancing, singing, or comedy. Getting out the door is 99% of the battle.
This will brand me the perennial nerd that I am: I think my favorite evening of all time happened a few summers ago. I stood, absolutely packed in a crowd of sweaty strangers at our local exhibition, while Weird Al worked the crowd froma raised stage.
“Like a surgeon,
Cuttin’ for the very first time…”
Epic, yes? 😉
It looks like a beautiful show. You’re right, they do look floaty.