Shen Yun Performing Arts
  • Om Shen Yun
    The Performance
    Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
    Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun
    Klassisk kinesisk dans
    Symfoniorkester
    Factsheet
    The Company
    Vår historie
    Life at Shen Yun
    Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Artistene
  • Videoer
  • Siste nytt
    Siste nytt
    Nyheter
    Blog
    I media
  • Pressemeldinger
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Publikums reaksjoner
  • Lær mer Nyhetsbrev Søk
    Norsk
  • English
  • 中文正體
  • 中文简体
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Česky
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Indonesia
  • Italiano
  • Nederlands
  • Polski
  • Português
  • Latviski
  • Pусский
  • Română
  • Svenska
  • Việt
  • Melayu
  • עברית
  • Tickets & Info
    Meny
    Shen Yun Logo
    Billetter
    Siste nytt
    Meny
    • Om Shen Yun
      • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg? Ni egenskaper ved Shen Yun Vår historie Life at Shen Yun Shen Yun Factsheet Utfordringer vi står ovenfor Klassisk kinesisk dans Symfoniorkester
    • Artistene
    • Videoer
    • Siste nytt
      • Siste nytt Nyheter Blog I media
    • Pressemeldinger
    • Ofte stilte spørsmål
    • Publikums reaksjoner
    Shen Yun 9 Characteristics Link Image

    What Makes Us Unique?

    DISCOVER THE 9 CHARACTERISTICS
    • Lær mer
    • Nyhetsbrev
    • Søk
    Språk
    • English
    • 中文正體
    • 中文简体
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
    • Česky
    • Deutsch
    • Español
    • Français
    • Indonesia
    • Italiano
    • Nederlands
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Latviski
    • Pусский
    • Română
    • Svenska
    • Việt
    • Melayu
    • 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.

    • Artist Perspectives
    • Life on tour
    • Regional Snapshots
    • Humor
    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
    Most Popular
    • All
    • Nyheter
    • Blog
    Vis mer
    Vis mer
    Vis mer

    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.”

    Om oss
  • Er Shen Yun nytt for deg?
  • Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
  • Life at Shen Yun
  • Shen Yun Factsheet
  • Utfordringer vi står ovenfor
  • Shen Yun & Spirituality
  • Møt artistene
  • Ofte stilte spørsmål
  • Videoer
  • Latest
  • Om Shen Yun
  • The Artists
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Siste nytt
  • Featured
  • Nyheter
  • Blog
  • Reviews
  • I media
  • Lær mer
  • Chinese Dance
  • Music
  • Vocal Music
  • Shen Yun Costumes
  • Digital Projection
  • Shen Yun Props
  • Stories and History
  • Shen Yun and Traditional Chinese Culture
  • Interact with us:
    Follow Us on Gan Jing World
    Sign Our Guestbook
    Get to Know More about Shen Yun
    on Our Streaming Platform
    Arts Proficiency Assessment Center
    Keepsakes and Premium Collections
    Inspired by Shen Yun
    Artist Fashion
    Shen Yun Performing Arts offisielle nettside Copyright ©2025 Shen Yun Performing Arts. Alle rettigheter forbeholdes.
    Kontakt oss Brukervilkår Personvern Sidekart