
What is the higher purpose of art?
In modern art, be it poetry, painting, music or dance, magnificent and overwhelming works that can withstand the test of time and carry a deep and thorough meaning to humanity are hard to find.
Like a Fairy Tale
Half Caucasian and half Chinese, dancer Yi Li grew up on a farm in southern Germany. Horseback riding, fairytales, and sports filled her childhood. Then one day after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts, her mother suggested she try dancing, setting in motion a magical new life.
The beauty and hidden charm of Chinese folding fans
Once regarded as a symbol of imperial power in Chinese history, folding fans have slowly emerged from being a possession exclusive to the royal family to becoming a common item during the Mid-Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). At that time, folding fans were an indispensable accessory for the scholar-official community, also known ...
Dante’s Divine Comedy
Divided into three parts – Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso – the lengthly epic poem traces the journey of Dante, who is both the author and the main character of the trilogy, from the darkness and terror of hell to purgatory and on to the revelation of the divine light of ...
Shen Yun reclaims humanity’s lost heritage
I have watched the Shen Yun Performing Arts performances in both Taiwan and America and often found audiences leaving the show in tears of joy, excitement, amazement, and thrill. Many shared in the interviews that their hearts were uplifted, their bodies refreshed and energized and their minds purified.
Mona Lisa- the mysterious smile yet to be decoded
A mong Leonardo Da Vinci ‘s outstanding collection, the “Mona Lisa" is deemed to be the most special one with a uniquely enchanting smile and other unresolved features.
The enchanting features of the Shen Yun symphony orchestra
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra features the perfect harmony of classical music East and West. The distinct sound of Chinese instruments is accentuated on the foundation of Western orchestra. The perfect arrangement and blend of the beauty and spirit of Chinese music with the power of the Western orchestra has made ...
The romantic legends behind Beethoven’s iconic Moonlight Sonata
The Moonlight Sonata is said to be the piece that marked a change in Beethoven’s composition style. It features an air of regret and loss, while simultaneously echoing the murmur of hushed prayers and the fierce sound of an approaching storm. It is a piece shrouded in romantic mythology but ...
Technique, tenacity, and talent: Niccolò Paganini, history’s most accomplished violinist
Paganini was an extraordinary 19th-century composer and violinist. The Italian musician could play three octaves across four strings in a hand span, a skill, amongst many, that elevated him from his contemporaries.
The effect of music on shaping the soul
Music is a reflection on the essence of life, and when carrying the universal values of the universe and of nature, music can become the best treatment for societies "mental diseases."
“Sonata and Fugue VI” by William Herschel: the great hymn ‘presented’ on the organ
Sonata and Fugue VI was an excerpt from a collection that included six versions of Sonata and Fugue by William Herschel for the organ solo. It was also the sixth and the last in the set, which resembles a great hymn “sung” accompanied by an organ. With the typical chant of ...
Spiritual awakening in Michelangelo’s ‘The Dream’
Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” Michelangelo's ‘Il Sogno’ (The Dream) is the perfect example of this symbiosis; a perfect combination of painting and poetry.
Breathing new life into old tea bags
What use could anyone have for discarded tea bags? Most of us wouldn’t know what to do with them, except maybe throw them in a compost pile. But Filipino-American artist Ruby Silvious has discovered a unique way of giving tea bags new life, by turning them into exquisite pieces of art. Her ...
Val de Grâce Church, a tribute to God from the devout queen
In the early years of the 16 century, the emergence of Protestantism followed by the Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648, of the Catholic monarchy against the Protestant Reformation, put most of the countries involved in devastation. However, that critical time also marked the birth of a Baroque-style church with its special ...
The Beauty of Divine Beings Dancing
Classical Chinese dancer Miranda Zhou-Galati says one of the most interesting roles she has played over the course of her 13 years with Shen Yun Performing Arts is that of a bodhisattva statue.
Traditional essence: Beijing Opera remains as a precious world heritage
Beijing Opera is a quintessential art form and a national treasure. For over 200 years, Beijing Opera has been considered an important performing art with profound cultural connotations.
