As the lights dimmed, audience members quieted their chatter and the curtains on the stage in Cobb Great Hall at Wharton Center rose slowly, revealing fog on the stage.
The dancers, who remained elegantly posed for a couple seconds, began dancing to the upbeat music played by the orchestra.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized as they jumped, ran and spun around on stage. The women had yellow ribbons for visual flair.
The routine lasted a few minutes, and ended with the dancers resuming their dramatic poses. Members of the audience applauded enthusiastically.
“Shen Yun,” which was performed Wednesday and Thursday night, drew in a massive crowd for its first East Lansing performance.
MSU alumna Katherine Becsey said she heard about the show through an email, so she decided to come see it with her mother. She said she didn’t exactly know what to expect.
“Based on everything I’ve seen, my main expectations will just be really cool, colorful sets, lots of fun costumes, but other than that, (I’m not sure),” she said.
International relations junior Nate Rajpoot, who attended with his girlfriend, human biology sophomore Vani Bhatia, said he also wasn’t sure what he could expect from the show.
“We haven’t seen anything like this at all,” he said. “I saw that they’ve actually performed all around America ... so I wanted to have a chance to check it out.”
“Shen Yun” goes back 5,000 years into Chinese culture, displaying hallmarks through song and dance. According to their website, “Shen Yun” cannot be performed in China today, though it still looks to revive traditions destroyed in the Cultural Revolution.
The dancers demonstrate classical Chinese dance and act out ancient Chinese legends. There are also a couple of singers who perform throughout the show.
One of the segments, called “The Fable of the Magic Brush,” is a dance story about a young painter who receives a magical paint brush.
This skit utilizes an interactive screen which is used as the background.
It presented a bright blue sky, green, grassy mountains and rippling water.
The painter drew things, such as a granary, with the magic paint brush and it appeared on the screen.
This dazzled audiences and elicited several “oohs” and “ahhs.”
During intermission, Bhatia said she enjoyed the show immensely.
“I think it’s really cool so far,” she said. “The thing that I like the most so far is the cultural aspect that you get to see through song and dance.”
MSU alumna Barb Cowles said she was drawn to the show because she wanted to see some cultural Chinese traditions.
One of the audience members, Okemos resident Harini Lingamgunta, said the show exceeded her expectations.
“It was very elegant, the dresses (and) the outfits were awesome and the dance was really powerful,” she said.
“Shen Yun” will be traveling to Grand Rapids and other major cities. Ticket prices range from $50 to as expensive as $120 depending on what seat you choose.
