Shop:
Shen Yun Creations
Artist Fashion
Shen Yun Collections
Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • The Performance
    9 Characteristics of Shen Yun
    Classical Chinese Dance
  • The Company
    Our Story
    Artists
    Challenges We Face
    About Shen Yun
    Performing Arts
    Symphony Orchestra
    Press Releases
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Blog
  • 5,000 Years
    Chinese Dance
    Music
    Vocal Music
    Shen Yun Costumes
    Digital Projection
    Shen Yun Props
    Stories and History
    Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
  • FAQ
  • Newsletter Support Employment Search
    English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Pусский
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • עברית
  • Buy Tickets What's New
    Menu
    Shen Yun Logo
    Tickets
    What’s New
    Menu
    • The Performance
      • 9 Characteristics of Shen Yun
      • Classical Chinese Dance
    • The Company
      • The Company
      • Our Story
      • Artists
      • Challenges We Face
      • About Shen Yun
        Performing Arts
      • Symphony Orchestra
      • Press Releases
    • Videos
    • Reviews
    • News
    • Blog
    • 5,000 Years
      • 5,000 Years
      • Chinese Dance
      • Music
      • Vocal Music
      • Shen Yun Costumes
      • Digital Projection
      • Shen Yun Props
      • Stories and History
      • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
    • FAQ
    • Shop
      • Shen Yun Creations
      • Artist Fashion
      • Shen Yun Gift Shop
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    What Makes Us Unique?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Employment
    • Support
    • Subscribe
    • Search
    Language
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Pусский
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • עברית
      Blog
      Back Blog > Denver Shows - A Rare Experience
    The view from the top of the Red Rock Amphitheater.

    Denver Shows - A Rare Experience

  • Some of us dancers at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater.
  • The view from the top of the Red Rocks Amphitheater.
  • Walking down the streets of Denver the day after we arrived, I suddenly had to pause because I couldn’t breathe properly.  And then I continued as usual and didn't think much of it.

    On stage later at the Buell Theatre, I also noticed moments of unexpected breathlessness, and found the first show to be a bit of a struggle, especially for the more demanding pieces. I didn’t think much of it.  “Maybe it’s just fatigue from all the traveling we’ve been up to?”

    The next day, we took time to drive up to the Red Rocks Amphitheater for some sightseeing. As I walked up a slightly steep path, winding amidst sloped rock formations, gazing at frosty mountains in the distance, the picturesque moment was suddenly interrupted–again I couldn’t catch my breath. “Man! Is my fitness level really this low now?”

    Then I noticed that one of my friends was also puffing and panting. This was much to the amusement of our dance teacher, who looked back while pointing and laughing at the two supposedly fit dancers struggling to walk like a pair of old oxen climbing the Himalayas.

    Despite the surprisingly arduous climb, the excursion was worth the effort. For a dancer on tour, it sometimes feels like home is a triad of indoor locations: bus, hotel, theatre. The crisp open-air amphitheater was a refreshing change. 

    I was also eager to check out the sound there—said to be some of the best natural acoustics in the world. The theater is surrounded by walls of the inimitable red rocks, and sound thereby resonates from them without the need for a sound system. I don’t think the theater’s stage would fit a show like ours with the large dance formations and animated backdrops, but it was perfect for singing.

    One after another, our soloists seized the opportunity to sing, while others climbed past the highest benches to draw in the best view of everything or sat in one of the 9.450 audience seats. As sopranos Geng Haolan and Huang Biru, tenors Yuan Qu and Huan Xing burst into soaring arias, other tourists turned around, sat down to listen, and waited patiently for the end of each song before rewarding them with warm applause. These singers, clearly, had plenty of air.

    But, being Australian and not familiar with American geography, I only later learned that the altitude was almost exactly one mile above sea level.  I also read that those who normally run 10 miles a day are content running six in Denver, that many accomplished athletes have trouble performing to their usual standards here due to the thin air, but that baseballs fly much further here when hit.

    Thinking back about our performances there, I’m amazed how all the dancers coped—except for a little extra huffing and puffing, everything was perfectly normal! 

    Despite Denver’s natural beauty and nice performing arts center, it’s nice to now be in DC, where I can get as much oxygen as possible when dancing.

    At any rate, I won't forget the “rare” experience I had in Denver.

    Rachel Bastick Blogger New

    Rachael (Yu Ming) Bastick

    Soprano

    View all posts See full profile

    March 31, 2012

    Comments
    verification

    Previous

    My Top 5 Japan Highlights

    Next

    The Choice
    Most Recent
    • Parallel Figures BONUS: Ye Xian and Cinderella
    • Famous Parallel Figures 10/10: Marco Polo and Zhang Qian
    • Being Daddy on the Road
    • Famous Parallel Figures 9/10: Leonardo da Vinci and Lu Ban
    • Famous Parallel Figures 8/10: Wang Zhaojun and Helen of Troy
    Most Popular
    • All
    • News
    • Blog
  • 1 Artist Spotlight: Tiffany Lin
  • 2 Feature Article: Principal Dancer Marilyn Yang
  • 3 Artist Spotlight: Elsie Shi
  • 4 Artist Spotlight: Chad Chen
  • 5 Photos from Tour: Flying High in the U.S. and Europe
  • 6 Photos from Tour: Exploring the Swiss Alps
  • 7 Artist Spotlight: Roy Chen
  • 8 The Audience and Us
  • 9 Photos from Tour: Sunshine and Rainbows
  • 10 Photos from Tour: Down Under and Across the Pond
  • Show More
  • 1 Artist Spotlight: Tiffany Lin
  • 2 Feature Article: Principal Dancer Marilyn Yang
  • 3 Artist Spotlight: Elsie Shi
  • 4 Artist Spotlight: Chad Chen
  • 5 Photos from Tour: Flying High in the U.S. and Europe
  • 6 Photos from Tour: Exploring the Swiss Alps
  • 7 Artist Spotlight: Roy Chen
  • 8 The Audience and Us
  • 9 Photos from Tour: Sunshine and Rainbows
  • 10 Photos from Tour: Down Under and Across the Pond
  • Show More
    Show More

    Tags

    • Artist Perspectives
    • Life on Tour
    • Regional Snapshots
    • Humor
      Shen Yun logo golden
      Shen Yun logo golden

      Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world's premier classical Chinese dance and music company, established in New York in 2006. It performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dance, and story-based dance, with orchestral accompaniment and solo performers. For 5,000 years, divine culture flourished in the land of China. Through breathtaking music and dance, Shen Yun is reviving this glorious culture. Shen Yun, or 神韻, can be translated as: “The beauty of divine beings dancing.”

      About
    • Shen Yun Performing Arts
    • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
    • Challenges We Face
    • Shen Yun & Spirituality
    • Meet the Artists
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Press Releases
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Videos
    • Latest & Featured
    • About Shen Yun
    • Meet the Artists
    • Reviews
    • News & Blog
    • News & Reviews
    • Featured
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Explore
    • Chinese Dance
    • Music
    • Vocal Music
    • Shen Yun Costumes
    • Digital Projection
    • Shen Yun Props
    • Stories and History
    • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
    • Shen Yun Creations
      Artist Fashion
      Shen Yun Collections
      Friends of Shen Yun
      Tian Yin Music Store
      Guestbook
    • Support
    • Subscribe
    Shen Yun Performing Arts Official Website Artist Fashion Shen Yun Collections Friends of Shen Yun Copyright ©2022 Shen Yun Performing Arts. All Rights Reserved.
    Contact us Terms Privacy Site map