SAN FRANCISCO—On Jan. 2, Shen Yun captivated the audience at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House with its classical elegance and vivid storytelling. Among those attending were Robert and Yelena Camargo, a married couple who were initially drawn in by curiosity and recommendations from friends.
“Honestly, I used to think
Shen Yun was a performance organized by the Chinese Communist Party,” said Robert, a civil engineer. “So we never even considered going before.” His wife, Yelena, a Russian language professor at City College of San Francisco, added, “That’s why I never thought about attending. Then, I saw it on NTD and became curious.”
Mrs. Camargo said her curiosity was also sparked by recommendations from friends. After seeing the full
performance, she said she enjoyed it immensely.
“I liked everything—the dancing and the live music,” she said. “The live orchestra was very, very impressive, and [they even used traditional] Chinese instruments, like the two-stringed [
erhu].”
Mr. Camargo said they have always been very interested in Chinese culture but wary of propaganda.
“We didn’t want to go to a show that was just promoted by the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.
He appreciated the diversity of Shen Yun’s storytelling. “I like the overall variety; so many different stories. And I’m glad they narrate the stories each time,” he said.
He thoroughly enjoyed the story of the
Monkey King. Mrs. Camargo was particularly moved by the story of Emperor Kangxi disguising himself to protect the people.
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Its mission is to
remind people of “China before communism.”
The couple was also captivated by Shen Yun’s innovative use of animated digital
backdrops. “It’s amazing how they jump into the screen and then come back out,” Mr. Camargo said, marveling at the seamless integration on stage between the dancers, special effects team, and the Shen Yun Orchestra.
They both said the performance’s story about the Chinese regime’s persecution of Falun Gong was an important message for American audiences. “It’s very important for people who haven’t had much interaction with Asia—they wouldn’t have known this,” Mr. Camargo said.
Mrs. Camargo said that more than one friend had recommended
Shen Yun to her, and that now, she will also encourage more people to experience it as well.
Reporting by Nathan Su and Olivia Li.
