MONTREAL�There was much in the multifaceted Shen Yun Performing Arts show at Montreals Place des Arts on Sunday afternoon that excited international fashion designer and model Julia Larina. "I enjoyed it, its a new experience for me," she said of New York-based Shen Yun, which tours the world showcasing the essence of Chinas 5,000-year-old culture through the performing arts. "I think it represents totally the Chinese traditional culture," she said. Russian-born Ms. Larina was Miss Russia and Miss Europe in 2005. Yasni Worldwide, a website similar to LinkedIn, says she lives and works in both Moscow and Montreal. As well as working with models and organizing fashion shows, Ms. Larina is also a fire performer�she dances with fire. In May 2012, she performed in Cuba with Cirque Fantastic, an entertainment company based in Montreal. She said she enjoyed the dance in Shen Yun, which presents both classical Chinese dance and ethnic and folk dances. "The dance was wonderful," she said, adding that she was particularly impressed by When Shaolin Monks Protected the Emperor, a story-based piece about how monks in a temple ended up eating meat, which has been off-limits to Buddhist monks for centuries. She found Shen Yuns wide array of costumes and colours to be both energizing and uplifting. "Beautiful costumes," she said. "Wonderful, beautiful, colourful, nice, bright. It gives energy, it gives good humour." Every year, Shen Yun stages an entirely new lineup of dances, songs, and musical scores in performances that celebrate the excellence and grandeur of classical Chinese dance and music inspired by the Middle Kingdoms rich history. Shen Yuns vocal soloists use the bel canto vocal technique while singing Chinese lyrics, which is not easily accomplished and is "unparalleled" in the music world today, according to its website. Ms. Larina gave tenor Yuan Qu for special praise. "I really enjoyed listening to the tenor. Thats the kind of voice I like to listen to. Its very comfortable for my ear. I did enjoy it." She said she would like to see Shen Yun more often. "I wish [Shen Yun] would come more often to Montreal, because I do like going to Place des Art to watch different kind of shows."
