“It’s magnificent, and you’re never bored from beginning to end,” said Ana Roch, a Geneva member of Parliament. “I really liked the presentations of each scene, which explain the traditions and the history. So that’s really something to appreciate when you go, when you don’t know anything about it. You see this kind of Chinese art.”
“I feel like the performers are flying. It’s extraordinary how light on their feet they are; it feels like they’re barely touching the ground. The grace of the performers and the way they communicate the history of this country through dance is very beautiful,” said Aurélien Barakat, a municipal councilor.
Jaques Quentin, a professional photographer, said, “I’m sitting right at the front, so I can see all the optical effects really well, and they look great. I really liked the screen at the back and the 3D effects. You can see the dancers going through the screen and coming back; it’s almost like being in a movie. So it’s very, very well done.”
“It’s wonderful to be able to see so much grace. I just want to say that it’s a magnificent show, with a lot of grace, a lot of discipline. You can see all the work that’s gone into it, and it’s a privilege to be able to experience it,” said Isabelle Pasquier-Eichenberger, a former member of the Swiss National Council.
Ms. Roch said, “I think we have our civilization, whether the values come from China or elsewhere, I think that’s what makes us who we are today. So we have to look to the past in order to build the future. And it’s actually a wonderful learning experience, these traditions of yesteryear.”
“I think they bring us back to our fundamentals. Something was said, it’s true that the world is evolving, it’s moving very fast, but sometimes we forget the elements of living together, of simplicity. We see scenes that convey very simple life lessons. Sharing, accepting others for who they are. And these are values that we should uphold more often in our very connected world, where we are easily disconnected,” Mr. Barakat said.
Since taking power in 1949, the current Chinese regime has disconnected the Chinese people from their authentic culture and persecuted those with faith. Shen Yun is unable to perform in China because it exposes the regime’s human rights abuses, including their brutal persecution of faith.
Mr. Quentin said, “I found it quite sad, and unfortunately, we know that it’s because of a communist regime. We know that there is this problem of freedom, that citizens can’t do whatever they want.”
“Because it actually refers to the fact that people are persecuted because of their beliefs. And freedom of belief, whether you’re a believer, agnostic, practicing, whether you defend certain values or not, is something that should be defended when you uphold humanist values and tolerance,” Mr. Barakat said.
