“Ten out of 10. Absolutely a 10 out of 10,” said Kathleen Curley, a microbiology technician at Jefferson University Hospital. “I actually had tears when they first started dancing. I just thought it was so wonderful and beautiful,” she added.
“I particularly like the folklore, like the traditional pieces, so you can see the dancing and the traditional music. But I also like that it transcended art in the sense that it had messages about modern-day life and things that we should value in terms of traditions,” said Patricia Coughlan, who is an associate professor of Rowan University.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the 5,000-year-old Chinese culture that existed before communist rule, a culture believed to have divine origins. Audience members said they felt a deep connection to this message.
“I feel like I’m walking on clouds right now. It was that beautiful,” said Joann Mirgon-Erb, who is the secretary of the board of directors of a non-profit organization. “The show was phenomenal. It affected me so emotionally. It made me feel divine. The dancing was phenomenal, and the spirit of the dancers came through so clearly, you could feel the love they had for what they do,” she added.
“The music was really emotional, and I thought it brought out that contemplation of the spiritual side. It really made you stop, because you felt the music in your heart. I felt like it made you really stop and think about the spiritual overtones to the performance. It was well done,” said retired psychologist Deborah Pinkar.
“I did not expect the spiritual message. And it moved me very much. The message was, we have to live a divine life here on Earth and be good to one another, be fearless and truthful, and take care of each other. I thank the people who worked so hard to do this work to send this message. The whole planet needs this message,” said Ms. Mirgon-Erb.
“Having been here, I can understand why this would not be allowed in China and in just what it really meant to have Shen Yun be before communism. There was so much that was just brought to life about the communist persecution and just how wrong it is,” said Ms. Pinkar.
“It spoke to me about the fact that persecution still exists in the world today, and that we need to speak up against it and support people who champion human beings,” said Ms. Coughlan.
“I would highly recommend it for anybody interested in Chinese culture and dance or who just simply wants to enjoy the beauty of the music and the dance itself,” said Brian Humble, an attorney and law firm owner.
“I love the show. It was fabulous. I thought it was so well done. It was my first time seeing it. So we will definitely be back. We loved it,” said Ms. Pinkar.
