AUSTIN, Texas—Governmental Affairs Representative, Melissa Villaseñor, was totally immersed in the Shen Yun Performing Arts' presentation of ancient China staged at Long Center for the Performing Arts.

“It was fantastic. It was beautiful to see the culture, to see the dancing, and the different regions of China, how they expressed themselves with their hands,” she enthused. “It was beautiful, it's a beautiful art form. Also, the expressing of the freedom and the persecution endured, and just the freedom of speech, and the spirit that lies within them—it's amazing.”

Ms. Villaseñor was seeing for the first time on Aug. 7, the New York-based company bring China’s five millennia-old traditional culture into the 21st century through classical Chinese dance and music.

“Extremely artistic, beautiful in their dance and the way they expressed themselves. They are true artists—they are disciplined in their art form. It was beautiful.”

Gorgeously costumed dancers move in synchronized patterns choreographed to match digital backdrop scenes and a live orchestra playing ancient Eastern and modern Western instrumentals in harmonious fusion.

“Excellent, excellent. The music was beautiful. Bringing in all the traditional instruments with Western music, together, and the transitions between each, with the different pieces, as well as with the dancing was very complimentary to the tone,” she said.

“That was interesting. After you start to immerse yourself in the music, the art and the dance, it becomes all one, and you feel it.”

Two dances, Fairies in the Clouds and Flowing Silk she thought were exceptional.

“That dance, with the maidens simulating the clouds with their fans, and then with the silk—it was beautiful. They're very disciplined … just the way in their movement, the synchronicity. I couldn’t get over the hands—every movement had a specific, if you really start to watch,” she recalled, mimicking some of the female hand movements.

Integral to Shen Yun is to reawaken for today’s audiences China’s divine heritage handed down to mankind 5,000 years ago that resonated within the government official evoking a sense of peace.

“It had several messages—to believe in your own divine, hope, the equanimity and tranquility … the equanimity and freedom of speech, and believing in your own divine and higher power.”

With reporting by Catherine Yang.

Shen Yun Performing Arts will next perform two shows at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Aug. 21. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts

Original article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/40575/