Colorado State Senator Iman Jodeh attended the performance and personally presented Shen Yun with a letter of commendation.
The certificate of appreciation was signed by state Senate president James Coleman on behalf of the entire Colorado Legislature.
“I'm super honored to be asked to present this on behalf of the 75th General Assembly and the Senate, to say we recognize the value and the richness that this brings for the past 20 years, and we want to make sure that we continue to be a welcoming state for this cultural diversity through Shen Yun,” Sen. Jodeh said.
In her letter of appreciation, Sen. Jodeh wrote: “Shen Yun’s artistry transcends time and place, evoking themes of beauty, resilience, joy, and perseverance, while offering audiences a meaningful connection to cultural heritage.”
“The Colorado Senate warmly welcomes Shen Yun Performing Arts to the Buell Theatre in Denver and expresses its sincere appreciation for the cultural enrichment and cross-cultural understanding its performances bring to communities across our state,” she said.
Sen. Jodeh described Shen Yun as “absolutely beautiful and captivating.”
“It was a wonderful way to expose the Chinese culture and history to Colorado and really allow us to enjoy the history of Chinese culture,” she added.
“I think some of the more beautiful moments [were] when there was humanity, when people in need found that help from people who could give. And I also love the beauty and stories behind the sleeves, and royalty and the connection between what it is to be someone who is an everyday person versus someone who may be of privilege. And so I thought it was a wonderful way of just connecting humanity and human touch,” she said.
The senator was inspired by these themes and stories in Shen Yun's performance.
“It was very palpable, and I think it was very relevant in the times that we're living to really hang on to that hope and that humanity, and really make sure that that's what we're centering and that's what we are trying to remind ourselves as a human race: is that we have a shared humanity. And that hope is what should be bringing us together,” she said.
