PDF File - The Peggy Siegal Company

Donna Karan
Urban Zen
along with
Laurie Anderson Anne Bass Chris Benz
Peter Brant Christian Cota Doo.Ri Chung
Mica Ertegan Jonathan & Somers Farkas
Erin Fetherston Robert Geller Gina Gershon
Susan Gutfreund Rula Jebreal & Julian Schnabel
Norma Kamali Peter Marino Tamara Mellon
Marcia & Richard Mishaan Kimberly & Steven Rockefeller
Rachel Roy Olivier Sarkozy Mary & Ian Snow
Peter Som Judy Taubman Blaine Trump
Marcus Wainwright Shelley Wanger Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
cordially invite you to join them
at a performance of
Shen Yun
Performing Arts
The world's premiere classical
Chinese dance and music company
Thursday, June 23, 2011
7:00 pm - performance
Followed by Opening Night Reception
Lincoln Center
David H. Koch Theatre
20 Lincoln Center Plaza,
(at 64th st)
After enchanting royals in London…
After performing for packed houses across Asia…
After wowing a sold-out audience at Lincoln Center in January, Shen Yun Performing Arts returns to Lincoln Center to perform the
very best selections from this and past years' world tours.
Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company whose
performances are heralded as profoundly beautiful, moving and inspiring. The company is a triumph of collaboration, bringing
together over three hundred of the foremost classically trained Chinese dancers, choreographers, musicians, and vocalists. It also
boasts the only full orchestra that embraces both Western and Chinese instruments as its permanent members. Alongside the
world's most renowned ballet companies and opera houses, Shen Yun Performing Arts is rapidly establishing itself as a unique art
form positioned at the very summit of the performing arts world.
Donna Karan
Candace Bushnell
Doo Ri. Chung
Kelly Rutherford
Christian Cota, Lotte Verbeek
Deborah Roberts
Jennifer Esposito
Prince Dimiti of Yugoslavia
Domenico Vacca
Jennifer Missoni
Ric Ocasek, Paulina Porizkova
Salman Rushdie
Kiera Chaplin
Ann Dextor-Jones
Brooke Geahan, Edward Chapman
Kelly Choi
Sante D’Orazio
Kathrin Werderitsch
Jaime Johnson
Kiera Chaplin
Zani Gugelman, Nora Zehetner, Meredith Ostrom
Peter Marino
Shen Yun Draws the thFashionable Set on Opening Night
By: Matthew Lynch/Friday, June 24 2011
Donna Karan with the Shen Yun dancers.
A pack of culturally curious New Yorkers headed to Lincoln Center on Thursday night
where classical Chinese dance troupe Shen Yun Performing Arts put on its annual
show. The U.S.-based outfit, which has ties to the banned-in-China Falun Gong spiritual
sect, offers up traditional performances of dance and opera pieces with names like ―The
Monkey King Outwits Pigsy‖ and ―Wu Song Battles The Tiger‖ alongside more current
fare — in two pieces Chinese state police figured as brutish villains.
Among the crowd who hung out afterward for a reception were Donna Karan, whose
Urban Zen charity hosted the evening, Ann Dexter-Jones, Candace Bushnell and Zani
Gugelmann.
Nora Zehetner explained that she had been as captivated by her seatmates as the
goings on onstage.
―There was this older couple and they were all dressed up for the night,‖ the actress
said.
―It‘s so sweet, they were holding hands the whole time and [he was] rubbing her hand. It
was so sweet. It made me tear up.‖
As the reception unfolded, handlers made the rounds introducing the night‘s performers.
In one corner of the room, Peter Marino chatted up the company‘s choreographer,
Yungchia Chen, and a principal dancer, Steven Wang, through an interpreter.
―Tell them I go to China four times a year,‖ he instructed.
―Really?‖ the wowed interpreter said, before translating.
―But I don‘t speak Chinese,‖ Marino added with a laugh.
In a break from the cross-cultural exchange, he offered up an assessment of the
performance. ―I liked the colors and I liked the energy,‖ Marino said.
WWD observed that the colors had been a bit brighter than the architect‘s garb for the
evening — his standard black leather biker motif.
―You don‘t know what‘s underneath,‖ he advised.
After Hours: Shen Yun.th
By: Vanessa Lawrence/Friday, June 24 2011
Donna Karan and her Urban Zen foundation know seemingly no bounds when it comes
to hosting events that educate New Yorkers on cultural enlightenment. Thursday night,
for instance, the designer helped inculcate the likes of Candace Bushnell and Charles
Askegard, Doo Ri Chung, Christian Cota, Zani Gugelmann, Keira Chaplin and actresses
Jennifer Esposito and Nora Zehetner into the ways of the Shen Yun Performing Arts, on
the opening night of the troupe‘s four-day stint at Lincoln Center.
Donna Karan with Nora Zehetner
Shen Yun is a New York based group, formed in 2006 with the goal of reviving classical
Chinese dance, singing and music. Since their inception they have toured the world and
even performed earlier this year at the London Coliseum for an audience that included
HRH Princess Micheal of Kent, HRH Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of York and
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The crowd gathered at the David H. Koch Theatre was a bit more, shall we say, mixed.
There was one royal in the crowd, Prince Dmitri of Yugoslavia, who stood up to greet
Salman Rushdie and his delicate date. Kelly Rutherford made an entrance carrying a
mini black Hermès Kelly bag (so clever, right?) along with her date‘s hand, while
Paulina Porizkova arrived with her two nattily dressed, shaggy haired sons and her
equally shaggy husband Ric Ocasek of The Cars.
The show‘s start time was delayed thanks to President Obama (an announcement
made in both English and Mandarin, how often does that happen?), but things soon got
under way with the first of multiple vignettes, ―When Kings Followed the Creator to the
Earth,‖ a dance involving fog machines and an animated screen, depicting everything
from ancient Chinese buildings to an intergalactic ride past planetary bodies.
And the bilingual action continued throughout the spectacular proceedings—which
included the stunning ―Plum Blossom‖ and ―Nymphs of the Sea‖ and the energetic
―Drummers of the Tang Court‖ and ―Chopstick Zest‖ dances—as the first-name-only
suited Jared and Kelly acted as game show-esque emcees, doling out instructional
tidbits in both English and Mandarin.
A Mongolian chopsticks piece from the summer of 2010
―Jared, what happened in the Tang dynasty?‖ queried Kelly (who like Vanna White or
Anna Hathaway at the Oscars, changed her dress during intermission). She later chided
him on his pronunciation after teaching the audience how to say ―there‖ and ―not there‖
in Mandarin.
―They say it better than you,‖ she mocked.
The select group of guests got an even closer experience with Shen Yun at a postperformance party on the theater‘s Promenade, where a small bar doled out wine, while
two tables offered a somewhat beguiling selection of mozzarella sticks, burgers, chicken
tenders and a few sushi rolls accompanied by Asian desserts (not a chopstick in sight,
by the way). A central table, from the midtown eatery Radiance, gave out tea samplings.
Michelle Guyun performing in 2010
Select company members, in Asian dress, mingled through the crowd, each
accompanied by a translator. Peter Marino and Karan took a considerable interest in
two of the male performers after having a bit of a lovefest in which the leather-clad
Marino humped Karan from behind and she declared, ―This hottie is ready to dance.‖
Marino, ever the architect, seemed especially curious about the dancers‘ take on the
environment.
―How did they like the theater?‖ he asked. ―There‘s no aisles down the middle. Could
they see the audience better?‖
Karan asked them about—what else?—Tibet and the Dalai Lama (remember, this was
an Urban Zen event).
They, in turn, asked her, through the translator what she liked best about the
performance.
―I love when it gets into the soul,‖ she replied. ―It‘s in respect to a higher self.‖
―Oh my god, you are a really special, spiritual person!‖ exclaimed the delighted
translator who quickly relayed this information to her guards.
Umm. I mean, Om.
Shen Yun Performanceth Brings Out Stars and Awareness
By: Elyse Knutsen/Wednesday, July 6 2011
Rutherford.
On a rainy Thursday, guests braved the traffic mess created by President Obama‘s
visit to New York and streamed into Lincoln Center‘s David H. Koch Theater in a blur of
gowns and tuxes. High-profile attendees from the worlds of fashion (Hamish Bowles,
Donna Karan), literature (Salman Rushdie), rock ‘n‘ roll (Ric Oscasek, Paulina
Porizkova and their two teenage sons) and society (Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia) all
rubbed shoulders with a bevy of stooped Asian grandparents eager to see a traditional
dance performance. The Observer was there along with them to see the first of five
performances by Shen Yun—a performing arts troupe that showcases traditional
Chinese dance and art forms.
We were seated next to a harried Ann Dexter-Jones, mother of the three Ronson
siblings. ―Can you believe the president‘s shut down half of Manhattan?‖ drawled the
Brit. ―I had to walk nearly half an hour to get here!‖
Associated with the Falun Gong movement, the spiritual group that has been harshly
repressed by the Chinese government since the 1990s, Shen Yun aims to show the
world the rich and oft-forgot cultural heritage of China while also exposing the country‘s
current political brutalities.
As such, the show included acts featuring ancient Chinese dance as well as more
unsettling modern interpretations of the Chinese political atmosphere. In one dance
piece titled ―Our Story,‖ a teacher writes a proverb on the blackboard, at which point
Chinese police wearing black shirts emblazoned with the hammer and sickle in
communist red beat the teacher to death. Fortunately, the unlucky teacher is revived by
the ever-present Chinese deities. While these overtly political messages were rather
unexpected for first-time viewers, the more traditional dances were nothing short of a
triumph.
In ―Chopstick Zest,‖ inspired by a folk dance from the outer reaches of Mongolia, men
danced, jumped and beat handfuls of chopsticks against their chests in perfect rhythm.
―I hate these guys who make me look out of shape,‖ quipped Patrick Harvey, a board
member of the Shen Yun organization.
The Koch Theater added much to the atmosphere. The red velvet seats were made
even more sumptuous by the giant chandelier, which gleamed like a disco ball, and the
crystalline lights planted within the balconies. ―It reminds me of Swarkozy,‖ one guest
mused. ―Swarovski?‖ another sought to clarify. ―Or Sarkozy?‖
After the performance, guests ambled up the marble staircase for the after-party,
chatting about the spectacle they had just taken in. Various coteries gathered around
tall tables and a variety of Chinese delicacies were presented—including a particularly
mouth-watering chicken dish. (We went back for seconds.) Revelers temporarily set
down their wine glasses to throw back shots—of tea, that is. A tea-tasting station
featured exotic leafy blends from Radiance Tea House.
The Shen Yun dancers also made their way to the reception. The female performers
were readily identifiable in traditional Chinese garb, while the men wore suits and
blended with the crowd. Although most of the troupe were born in China, the majority
were raised abroad. Walking around the party, The Observer noticed several dancers
prattling in perfect French with other guests.
We caught up with Kelly Rutherford, wearing a white Nanette Lepore dress, who raved
about the performance. ―We get so inundated with a sort of intensity and things that
aren‘t beautiful all the time. You know I think it‘s so nice to see something that is almost
innocent and beautiful and good dancing,‖ said Ms. Rutherford wistfully. ―It made me
crave Chinese food for sure,‖ she added.
Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell similarly expressed her appreciation of
Shen Yun. ―I‘ve seen the New York City Ballet perform so many times,‖ said Ms.
Bushnell. Shen Yun, however, was something wholly different. ―The great thing is that
you can really be transported,‖ gushed Ms. Bushnell.
Averell Fisk—grandson of former New York governor and U.S. ambassador to the
Soviet Union William Averell Harriman—chatted with his wife, Kirsten, about the hairy
political issues surrounding Shen Yun. The Fisks were shocked that the Chinese
authorities had attempted to stymie Shen Yun because of its ties to Falun Gong. ―It‘s
just nice to put it to the Chinese a little bit,‖ said Mr. Fisk of attending the evening‘s
performance. ―You think they‘d be proud of their culture!‖ exclaimed Mrs. Fisk.
―Remember the Cultural Revolution,‖ Mr. Fisk said in a knowing, muted tone. ―They
brainwashed everyone essentially,‖ concluded his wife.
Ms. Karan—whose nonprofit organization, Urban Zen, underwrote Shen Yun‘s opening
night—wore an arresting wooden necklace with large carved faces. ―This is from
Senegal, and these are from Haiti,‖ she said, gesturing to her many wooden bangles.
―Part of Urban Zen is the preservation of culture and which it really links East and West
together,‖ explained Ms. Karan.
Before long the younger set grew tired of standing around indoors and adjourned to the
balcony. Dragging on cigarettes (is that even legal anymore?) socialites including Nora
Zehetner, Zani Gugelmann and Alexandra Slatina chatted, fraternized and generally
cordoned themselves off from the rest of the party.
After consorting for an hour or so, guests began to make their way back down the grand
staircase where Jimmy Crystal gift bags were being distributed. The designer‘s website
doesn‘t lie when it claims to ―crystallize almost anything you can imagine‖; the goodie
bags included a crystal-covered letter opener. (We’ve been looking for one for ages!)
And so, after a week of highly favorable reviews and highly fashionable audiences,
Shen Yun must once again bid farewell to New York. Provided they can evade
Communist party censors, doubtless the company will be back next year.
Starring China
th
By: Lizzie Simon/Saturday, June 25 2011
Ric Ocasek, Jonathan Ocasek, Paulina Porizkova and Oliver Ocasek.
At the David H. Koch Theater Thursday, Shen Yun, a New York company of Chinese
dancers and musicians, presented a "greatest hits" show from their years of
international performance. With titles like "Drummers of the Tang Court" and "The
Monkey King Outwits Pigsy," each piece corresponded to specific ethnic cultures and
folktales within the vast Chinese spectrum.
"It's 5,000 years of Chinese history in two hours of performance," said Carrie Hung from
Chinese Arts Revival, the presenting organization. (The evening was arranged by the
Peggy Siegal Company, which emblemizing the split between highs and lows
permeating our culture, also screened the comedy "Horrible Bosses" at the same time
downtown.)
Michelle Ren
Salman Rushdie, Paulina Porizkova and Candace Bushnell were among those who
attended the Shen Yun opening. Ms. Bushnell's husband, the dancer Charles Askegard,
expressed appreciation for the performers' technique: "I cannot tumble," he said. "I'm
6'4."
In a nod to the East-West nature of the event, guests could choose between
hamburgers and mozzarella sticks or Asian-fusion treats like black sesame mochi and
sushi. The only shots being done were of tea.
"It's going to relax you, lift you up, and help you with digestion," said the tea bartender,
Dayin Chen.
There were varying degrees of connection to China. Janelle Howard, a client liaison for
Alpha Capital, hadn't ever been ("Does Chinatown count?" she asked) and was
particularly dazzled by the show's elaborate costumes. "All the colors! It's like a chakrabalancing experience. I'm going to tell my yoga teacher I don't need her anymore."
The architect and interior designer Peter Marino goes to China four times a year for
projects. More than 50% of his work is there, he said. Dressed in his signature biker
garb, he admitted that when he put himself together for the evening, "I wasn't thinking
about China. I've had these clothes on for four days."
VIP audience
th
By: Stef Smith/Saturday, June 25 2011
East met West at the Shen Yun Performing Arts event Thursday night at Lincoln Center.
The traditional Chinese dance troupe returned to town for a special performance, and
will do four more shows this weekend. Guests for the colorful theatrics included Donna
Karan, decked out in Haitian and African jewelry as one of the hosts, architect Peter
Marino, Candace Bushnell, Charles Askegard, Deborah Roberts, Vogue's Hamish
Bowles, Kelly Rutherford and Salman Rushdie.
Donna Karan
After Chinese Dance, Some
Thoughts on Dating
th
By: Jennifer Mascia/Saturday, June 25 2011
A performance by Shen Yun, the classical Chinese dance company, at Lincoln Center on Thursday.
That the New York of ―Sex and the City‖ ended with the advent of high-speed Internet
cable was not something we expected to learn at a performance by Shen Yun, the
colorful gymnastic Chinese classical dance company, at Lincoln Center on Thursday
night. But Candace Bushnell gave us an earful about the demise of Carrie Bradshaw‘s
New York.
The Fashion designer Donna Karan, third from left, mingling after the performance at Lincoln Center.
―It ended with the Internet,‖ specifically DSL, Ms. Bushnell said of that dating scene.
―When you had to use your phone line to get on the Internet, then it was slower,‖ she
said. ―It wasn‘t a replacement for going out and being there and being on the scene and
having to attract people.‖
Also over: Writing about that scene as Ms. Bushnell once did in her column for The New
York Observer. ―No one today can do it because it was a particular kind of writing and a
style of writing and observation that was very original to me, my voice,‖ she said.
―Everyone always says, ‗Oh, it was a sex column, or it was about relationships.‘ No, it‘s
not. It was social Darwinism.‖
Donna Karan, who emitted an earthy musk, was more cheerful. She looked fit and
fashionable. ―I have — how many grandchildren? — seven,‖ she said.
A publicist introduced a dancer, the ―lead plum blossom,‖ to Ms. Karan. ―You were
channeling the spirit,‖ said Ms. Karan to the dancer. ―Because that‘s what we all are —
channels.‖ She paused and gaped at the plum blossom‘s Han dynasty outfit. ―And I love
your sleeves.‖
As a photographer approached Ms. Bushnell, she seemed to decide that this scene,
too, was over. ―This is just too complicated for me,‖ she said. ―I‘m going to go home and
get a pizza.‖
Vegas, Chinese Style!
th
By: Nigel Smith/Friday, June 24 2011
―After enchanting royals in London…
After performing for packed houses across Asia…
After wowing a sold-out audience at Lincoln Center in January, Shen Yun Performing
Arts returns to Lincoln Center to perform selections from past years‘ world tours.‖
So read my invite to the opening night performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the
Lincoln Center‘s grand David H. Koch‘s theater. I went. Donna Karan showed up. So did
―Sex and the City‖ mastermind Candace Bushnell. All there to be enchanted and wowed
by some old-school Chinese culture.
Billed as ―the world‘s premiere classical Chinese dance and music company,‖ the New
York based company honors Chinese traditional culture through dance, song and
music. The show, composed of pieces from their all-original repertoire, was robust,
clocking in at over two hours. The night‘s most eye-catching piece, ―Plum Blossom,‖
featured a slew of female dancers, each parading around with two hot pink fans, that
when opened together resembled a…wait for it…blossom [check out the pic above to
get an idea]. The two words that came to my mind while watching this flower
spectacular? Vegas, baby! Not quite what I expected going into this blast from China‘s
past, but there you have it.
The show wraps its New York City run this weekend. Go here to get tickets.
Donna Karan at the opening night
Candace Bushnell and Kelly Rutherford (“Gossip Girl”) posing at opening night.
Celebs Flock to Shen
Yun at Lincoln Center
th
By: Nigel Smith/Friday, June 24 2011
Author Candace Bushnell (left) and actress Kelly Rutherford (TV‘s ―Gossip Girl‖) were
among those that caught the opening night performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at
the Lincoln Center last night in NYC. Shen Yun, billed as the ―world‘s premiere classical
Chinese dance and music company,‖ last performed at the Lincoln Center in January to
an adoring mob. Their new show, featuring eye-popping selections from past years‘
world tours, left this audience similarly satisfied. Also among those in attendance at the
show and the reception that followed were: Donna Karan, Anne Bass, Christian Cota,
Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Pepper Binkley, Jennifer Esposito and Chloe Flower.
Performances run through to June 26th. [Photo by Chance Yeh/Patrick McMullan]
Beauty and the Beast:thShen Yun at Lincoln Center
By: Regina Weinreich/Friday, June 24 2011
Spirits soar over snow capped mountains, a sword-wielding hero, Wu Song, slays a
man-eating tiger, a dance corps in Barbie pink clusters like plum blossoms, another
twirls handkerchiefs, nymphs frolic in the waves. Heaven opens its gates. In spectacular
color and gorgeous costumes, Shen Yun, a New York-based arts group, enacts the rich
cultural heritage of China at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
As in Grimm's fairy tales, dreams prevail over nightmares. A grim history underlies the
beauty in the case of Shen Yun's political agenda. Early on a tenor sings the praises of
the Falun sacrificing their lives. "This is our story." Michelle Ren and Yungchia Chen
choreograph a dance based upon a true account of a beloved teacher who is dragged
off by thuggish police for writing "truth," "compassion," and "tolerance" on the
blackboard.
At a reception celebrating Shen Yun, dancers, musicians, and other Chinese artists
were presented to diners. This reporter wanted to know why the Chinese government
does not allow this performance in China: was it the direct accusation of oppression in
many of the elaborate production numbers, or was it the enactment of classical Chinese
traditions? "Both," replied Chelsea Cai, a principal dancer. The Communist regime tries
to erase the cultural history.
Salman Rushdie was among those in attendance. Longtime president of PEN, himself
in hiding for many years under a fatwa for characters in his fiction, for Rushdie an irony
was not missed. China is watched for imprisoning writers and suppressing creativity.
Just this week, the artist Ai Weiwei was released from detention in Beijing. Outspoken
about the abuses of Chinese censorship, he was "held in secret detention without
charge or trial," according to a June 22 press release.
The elegant, cultural evening, hosted by Donna Karan, marked a triumph for The Peggy
Siegal Company, also responsible for the premiere of the wildly hilarious film Horrible
Bosses, a comedy directed by Seth Gordon and starring Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell,
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Kevin Spacey downtown at a club
called Vault. Looking curvaceous but a shadow of her former self, Kirstie Alley claims to
have lost 90 pounds preparing for her turn on Dancing With the Stars.
PS
th
By: Roger Friedman/Friday, June 24 2011
PS– as in Peggy Siegal, who also helped produce the big opening night at Lincoln
Center for the China ballet ―Shen Yun,‖ given by Donna Karan and her Urban Zen.
Donna was there, so was Candice Bushnell, and a couple dozen more bold face
names who got a nice dose of Chinese culture. ―Shen Yun‖ performers live in the US.
Their ballet–which is acrobatic, athletic, beautifully staged with ornate costumes–is
banned in China, of course. See it here in NYC this weekend. The company –we met
them all, they are just terrific– returns with a whole new show in January.
Last Night’s Partiesth
By: Mara Siegler/Friday, June 24 2011
Where: David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Who Was There: Donna Karan, Anne Bass, Candace Bushnell & Charles Askegard,
Doo.Ri Chung, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Victoria Bartlett, Hamish Bowles, Kelly
Choi, Zani Gugelmann, Jennifer Missoni, Meredith Ostrom, Denise Rich, Deborah
Roberts, Salman Rushdie, Kelly Rutherford, Nora Zehetner
Other Details: Shen Yun sold out their performance at Lincoln Center last January,
returning last night to yet another packed house of socialites and dance lovers. After the
performance, special guests head to a reception on the Promenade inside the David H.
Koch Theatre.
Back to old habits
th
By: David Patrick Columbia/Wednesday, June 29 2011
Step back. Last Thursday night here in New York Donna Karan, Urban Zen,
Anne Bass, Candace Bushnell and Charles Askegard, Doo Ri Chung,
Christian Cota, Mary and Ian Snow, Shelley Wanger and Prince Dimitri of
Yugoslavia hosted the opening night performance of Shen Yun Performing
Arts – the world‘s premiere classical Chinese dance and music company. The
7 o‘clock performance was at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center,
followed by a Party Reception on the Promenade at 9 pm.
Among those attending: Rick Ocasek and Paulina Porizkova, Victoria
Bartlett, Pepper Binkley, Hamish Bowles, Brian Reyes, Denise Rich,
Kiera Chaplin, Kelly Choi, Jennifer Esposito, Chloe Flower, Douglas
Friedman, Kelly Rutherford, Domenico Vacca, Zani Gugelmann,
Anastasia Jenkin, Deborah Roberts, Jamie Johnson, Jennifer Missoni,
Meredith Ostrom, Salman Rushdie, Lotte Verbeek, Nora Zehetner.
The core of Shen Yun's mission is to revive the 5,000-year-old culture of
China that has sadly been impoverished over the past several decades under
the current rule in China. The profound and rich traditions of China offer
inspiration and insight into the power of the human spirit. Shen Yun aims to
unveil traditions that bridges east and west and makes them accessible to
audiences around the world.
Donna Karan & Kelly Rutherford Enjoy a Classy Summer
Night Out in NYC
th
By: Jessica Krampe/Wednesday, June 29 2011
The Gossip Girl star and well-known designer were among many A-list guests who attended the sold-out
show of Shen Yun at Lincoln Center.
Who doesn‘t like a night filled with Chinese dance and incredibly inspirational
performances? Donna Karan along with Peggy Siegal hosted the opening night
performances of Shen Yun Performing Arts on June 23, and it was an elegant,
celebrity filled evening with a flavor of cultural illumination. Kelly Rutherford arrived
clutching a Hermès Kelly bag, and her entrance was anything but solo.
After the show, guests attended an after party on the Promenade inside the David H.
Koch Theatre. Just reading the list of goodies will make you drool! Celebs, show-goers
and Shen Yun had their pick – the tables offered everything from burgers to sushi rolls
and Asian desserts. And we can‘t forget the wine bar (and tea station)
Beauty and the Beast: Shen Yun at Lincoln Center /PEN on
China / Horrible Bosses
at Vault
th
By: Regina Weinreich/Friday, June 24 2011
Spirits soar over snow capped mountains, a sword wielding hero, Wu Song, slays a
man-eating tiger, a dance corps in Barbie pink clusters like plum blossoms, another
twirls handkerchiefs, nymphs frolic in the waves. Heaven opens its gates. In spectacular
color and gorgeous costumes, Shen Yun, a New York based arts group enacts the rich
cultural heritage of China at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
As in Grimm's fairy tales, dreams prevail over nightmares. A grim history underlies the
beauty in the case of Shen Yun's political agenda. Early on a tenor sings the praises of
the Falun sacrificing their lives. ―This is our story.‖ Michelle Ren and Yungchia Chen
choreograph a dance based upon a true account of a beloved teacher who is dragged
off by thuggish police for writing ―truth,‖ ―compassion,‖ and ―tolerance‖ on the
blackboard.
At a reception celebrating Shen Yun, dancers, musicians, and other Chinese artists
were presented to diners. This reporter wanted to know why the Chinese government
does not allow this performance in China: was it the direct accusation of oppression in
many of the elaborate production numbers, or was it the enactment of classical Chinese
traditions. ―Both,‖ replied Chelsea Cai, a principal dancer. The Communist regime tries
to erase the cultural history.
Salman Rushdie was among those in attendance. Longtime president of PEN, himself
in hiding for many years under a fatwa for characters in his fiction, for Rushdie an irony
was not missed. China is watched for imprisoning writers and suppressing creativity.
Just this week, the artist Ai Weiwei was released from detention in Beijing. Outspoken
about the abuses of Chinese censorship, he was ―held in secret detention without
charge or trial,‖ according to a June 22 press release.
The elegant, cultural evening, hosted by Donna Karan, marked a triumph for The Peggy
Siegal Company, also responsible for the premiere of the wildly hilarious film Horrible
Bosses, a comedy directed by Seth Gordon and starring Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell,
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Kevin Spacey downtown at a club
called Vault. Looking curvaceous but a shadow of her former self, Kirstie Alley claims to
have lost 90 pounds preparing for her turn on Dancing With the Stars.
Donna Karan Says Shen Yun is ‘Like Taking a Journey to
China
th
By: Joshua Phiilip/Friday, June 24 2011
Donna Karan, fashion designer and creator of the Donna Karan New York (DKNY) clothing line, stands
for a photo during a VIP reception following a performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts at the David H.
Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on June 23, in New York City. (Joshua Philipp/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—Shen Yun Performing Arts brought a culture of wonder and grace to a
packed theater at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on June 23. The opening
night performance in New York City received warm accolades, with standing ovations
lasting through a curtain call
Donna Karan, chief designer of DKNY and founder of the Urban Zen charity initiative,
said ―What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it. It was taking me on a
journey to the many aspects of China.‖
Shen Yun brings together award-winning talents in Chinese classical dance and music,
drawing their inspiration from China‘s 5,000 years of culture. The dance company has
three performance companies, and the Shen Yun New York Company took to the stage
for Thursday‘s performance.
Ms. Karan, who both sponsored and attended the VIP reception following the show,
noted an auspicious harmony within the performance. ―When I saw the dance and the
beauty of the synergy and the movement, there was not a singular person,‖ she said. ―It
moved in unison, which was so beautiful.‖
―The voices were extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary, and so were the dances, but
what I loved the most was that—even in the costumes—[they] were all in one,‖ she said.
Classical Chinese dance is a vast system with hundreds of movements, intricate poses,
and a deeply expressive quality. The performers of Shen Yun bring the dance a step
closer to its roots, holding the belief that in order to create true art, there must first be
inner beauty, according to the company's website.
―I love the Asian aspect of the grounding, and seeing their energy was completely
aligned was beautiful,‖ Ms. Karan said.
Ms. Karan added that when she founded Urban Zen, for herself, it was to ―find zen in
humanity ... I think tonight was an example of urban zen.‖
―It was like taking a journey to China, here in New York,‖ she said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at Lincoln Center's David H.
Koch Theater in New York City, June 23-26. For more information, visit
ShenYunPerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Correction: The Epoch Times previously identified Donna Karan as the owner of
DKNY; she is in fact the chief designer of the fashion house. The Epoch Times regrets
the error.
Ann Dexter-Jones ‘Proud’
to be in Shen Yun Audience
th
By: Joshua Phillip/Friday, June 24 2011
Philanthropist and jewelry designer Ann Dexter-Jones at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, in New
York City, June 23. (Joshua Philipp/The Epoch Times)
NEW YORK—The audience at the June 23 opening performance of Shen Yun
Performing Arts‘ show at Lincoln Center included many high profile members of the
community and New York City celebrities, including designer Ann Dexter-Jones.
Ms. Dexter-Jones, a British-born socialite and jewelry designer, is married to the
legendary Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones. She is also a philanthropist and pens articles
for publications such as The New York Times and Town & Country. She was impressed
by Thursday night‘s performance at Lincoln Center.
―I loved the show tonight,‖ said Ms. Dexter-Jones. ―I walked eight blocks because they
blocked the traffic for Obama, but I loved tonight.‖
She was particularly impressed by the show‘s choreography.
Ms. Dexter-Jones noted that Chinese dance includes classical Chinese dance also
ethnic and folk dance. "I thought it was very ... real and very true,‖ she commented,
adding that she also enjoyed the live music.
Ms. Dexter-Jones said she was also impressed by the fact that it is something that
cannot be seen in China.
―I think it was just telling a story,‖ she said. ―I think it's very special.‖ She added that the
world is becoming a smaller place and that seeing Shen Yun helped her learn more
about true Chinese culture.
―The world is becoming smaller place,‖ she said. ―I think there‘s absolutely more [than
meets the eye with Chinese culture]. I was quite ignorant in a way.‖
Ms. Dexter-Jones added that she enjoyed seeing a performance that is independent
from the ideology of the current Chinese regime.
―I feel proud to be part of this evening and I feel very proud to be here.‖
Surgeon Appreciates Beautiful Colors and Message of Shen
Yun
th
Friday, June 24 2011
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Dr. Mark Helbraun enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts for the second time
on Thursday night. He sees in the show the upholding of universal freedoms. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch
Times)
NEW YORK—Dr. Mark Helbraun drove into the city from Hackensack where he works
as a medical director, to watch the opening performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts
at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center Thursday night.
He had seen Shen Yun last year at Radio City Music Hall and was eager to return for
this weekend's performances, a collection of the "best of the best" since the company's
inception five years ago.
―I liked the color, I liked the music, I liked the movement. It's a wonderfully cultural
display, and I'm even in tune with the political message,‖ said Dr. Helbraun. ―I think
freedom and tolerance are pretty important values in the world. ‖
New York-based Shen Yun reawakens mankind's cultural heritage—divinely-bestowed
5,000 years ago but lost to communist rule—portrayed in classical Chinese dance,
music and song, its website says.
"Freedom and tolerance are pretty important values in the world, whether West or East,"
Dr. Helbraun said.
He was referring to a couple of vignettes that exposed the communist's persecution of
Falun Dafa, an ancient spiritual teaching banned from China in 1999.
"Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom from fear.
These were the [sentiments] articulated by Franklin Roosevelt in the time of the second
world war," Dr. Helbraun emphasized, basic values ignored in Chinese society today.
East Meets
West at Lincoln Center with Shen Yun
th
Friday, June 24 2011
What a perfect example of Urban Zen! I‘m here at the Lincoln Center in New York City,
yet surrounded by the culture of the East at Shen Yun – a mesmerizing performance of
singers, dancers and musicians reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of
China.
The beauty and spirit of ancient Chinese culture that was captured in the performance
was such a powerful reminder of how much wisdom we can glean from each other and
how important our histories are. It was so striking to experience artists working in unison
while embodying a soul that is the unique essence of Chinese artistry.
The most astonishing part of the evening was meeting with the dancers, musicians and
producers after the performance. It was clear that the experience of Shen Yun and their
creative expression was so important to each and every one of them. It was
inspirational and educational – a performance that I encourage everyone to see and all
of us to learn from.
Spectacular
Opening Night at Lincoln
th
Friday, June 24 2011
On Thursday night, Shen Yun Performing Arts‘ summer production opened at Lincoln
Center to an eager audience brimming with New York celebrities.
The production touted as the ―Best of the Best‖ features highlights from Shen Yun‘s five
seasons, including favorites like Chopsticks Zest, Monkey King, and Tang Court
Drummers.
At a post-performance VIP reception, hosted by Chinese Arts Revival, guests had an
opportunity to mingle with Shen Yun‘s artists, including principal dancers Chelsea Cai
and Tim Wu, and choreographers Michelle Ren and Yungchia Chen. Shen Yun‘s ladies
came out adorned in colorful silky gowns, styled in ancient Chinese fashion.
Here is what a few of the special guests had to say about the performance:
Donna Karan
Wendy Diamond
Mega-designer Donna Karan, of Donna Karan New York (DKNY) fame:
―What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it… The beauty of the synergy and
the movement, there was not a singular person… it moved in unison… Their energy
was completely aligned.‖
―The voices were extraordinary.‖
Author of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul and celebrity TV Pet Lifestyle
expert Wendy Diamond:
―I loved the spirit of China... and I loved that you‘re putting the art and the culture to
America…I‘m a huge fan of Lincoln Center. To see them here at Lincoln Center is
phenomenal."
CEO of Quest Magazine Chris Meigher:
―I've seen it three times… It is terrific! Very spiritual and very moving… uplifting...
reminds me of the China we forgot about.‖
Ric Ocasek, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Cars:
―The dance is beautiful,‖ the music is ―soothing.‖
His wife—actress, model and former Sports Illustrated cover girl Paulina Porizkova:
―The dancing is really beautiful…fascinating.‖
Charlie Chaplin‘s granddaughter, actress and model Kiera Chaplin:
―I've never seen something like this before, the movements are very fluid and graceful
and great. Perfect."
President of Swiss watch and jewelry company Delaneau Roberto Cristobal:
―More profound than the regular kinds of events."
Edward Chapman, CEO of the Marchesa fashion house:
―Come and see it for yourselves, because you will have never seen anything like this
before… So beautifully done, so energetic, and the choreography is spectacular."
Alongside these and other celebrity guests in the audience, was also a significant
contingent of Chinese audience members, including television news anchors, models,
dancers, and other artists.
Four performances remain—Friday through Sunday. After that, audience members will
have to wait for next season‘s tour to begin in the winter. That will be a whole new
production, and these favorite pieces now at Lincoln Center‘s David H. Koch Theater
may not be seen again for a long time.
The Best thof Shen Yun Opens at Lincoln Center
Friday, June 24 2011
The VIP session after the opening night of Shen Yun in Lincoln Center, June 2011
―The Best of Shen Yun‖ performances opened at Lincoln Center on the night of June
24th, 2011, to a packed theater, and counted world-famous artists and businessmen in
the audience who had come to see the show.
Among the many audience members was Donna Karan, owner of the famous fashion
label DKNY and founder of the non-profit charity Urban Zen. In an interview, Donna
Karen said of the show, ―What I loved about the show was the authenticity of it. It was
taking me on a journey to the many aspects of China.‖ She also said, ―When I saw the
dance and the beauty of the synergy and the movement, there was not a singular
person. It moved in unison, which was so beautiful.‖
American actress Kelly Rutherford shares her experience at Shen Yun
American actress Kelly Rutherford, in a video interview, said ―The dancers are amazing
and they‘re beautiful. And like I said they‘re so incredibly trained. I mean I don‘t know
how they, must for years do this. They‘re just perfect.‖
Donna and Kelly were only a couple among the many famous artists, businessmen and
VIPs who came to see the opening night of the Shen Yun Performances in Lincoln
Center.