Honolulu Audience Member Says ‘It's Beautiful’ to See Traditional Culture ‘Come to Life’ in Shen Yun

NTD Newsroom
Shen Yun
Dedicated to reviving a culture once nearly lost, Shen Yun Performing Arts uses classical Chinese dance, a live orchestra, and an immersive backdrop to tell the stories of 5,000 years of civilization and wisdom. On May 8 and 9, the company took audience members in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a journey through ancient China.

“I think it's beautiful, I think it's great, it tells a story. I think it's great to see the wonderful colors, the dances, and the culture come to life,” said Jessica Chou, a senior account executive. “You can tell that they spent a lot of time working on their art, working on their form, their technique, and their dance movements. And you can see that they've trained really, really hard. And the performance is fantastic.”

“The show is beautiful, it was incredible. I loved it because it was rich with culture, ancient culture that I can see so much of our world today comes from that kind of rooted culture in the world. It's beautiful [that] it's being preserved in the way that it is,” said Kory Jones, a travel agency CEO.

“I am just [full] of happiness. It's great. I love dance and I love theater and I love music, and it all just comes together, and we're just so enjoying it,” said Rob Pierce, a business owner. “I like the way it transforms from the live into the background, with the characters and back, and how seamless that was. I just really enjoyed it. I can't say enough good about it.”

Shen Yun draws its inspiration from five millennia of Chinese civilization, a culture which was believed by ancient Chinese people to be inspired by the divine. Since taking power in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party has disconnected today’s Chinese people from their authentic culture and persecuted those with faith.

“It was really good to see the different cultural aspects of some of the Chinese traditions. I learned a lot, I didn't realize that a lot of the Chinese culture was suppressed by the communist government. I think this is a great way to keep the culture alive and through dance,” said Michael Loscalzo, a business owner.

“I was very inspired. It has a lot to do with the cultures right here in Hawaii as well, that they need to be preserved and carried forward, regardless of any things that might be preventing it or slowing it down. I think in the future, it will prevail, and we'll be able to continue with the things that help us to carry our sense of humanity,” said Kory Jones.

“The sense of the divine and where we're all from. And I believe in that, there are many different ways to believe in that, but the demarcation from not believing anything or believing something will give you the better life you may seek, and that's what I took from it,” said Rob Pierce, a business owner.

Shen Yun began touring in 2006, and has now grown to eight companies simultaneously traveling the world. Every season, Shen Yun brings an all-new program for audiences to enjoy.
NTD News, Honolulu, Hawaii

NTD is a media sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts, covering audience reactions since 2006.