Classical Chinese dance is brought to life on stage in the German city of Ludwigsburg. Shen Yun Performing Arts took to the stage for six performances, ending on Feb. 18. The company delighted packed audiences, with audience members calling the experience “heavenly.”
“In a word, it was fantastic. If I were to describe it in more detail now, I’m still a bit intoxicated by all the impressions,” said Achim Köhler, the director of development at Bosch. “There are so many senses that are stimulated. What immediately catches the eye, of course, are these colors. Colors without end. Bright colors. I didn’t even know that you could display it like this.”
Stefanie Jauch, a pilot said, “It was just this dancing, this orchestra, this music, the singing, the movements. Simply, it goes to the heart.”
Volker Erfle, a real estate agent at Enzel Immo, said, “You only know China from the media now, from television, the press. Communism, lining up at work in the morning—that’s the typical image we have of China. But I didn’t know that there was such a culture before that, such a spiritual one, too. I didn’t know that. I wasn’t aware of it.”
Mr. Köhler added, “What impressed me is the authenticity of the actors. I kind of feel it. It’s a high degree of discipline, of self-control, of will to perform. They seem very authentic. The message, to cultivate virtues, clearly resonates with me.”
Shen Yun’s stated mission is to restore traditional Chinese culture, from before the communists took power in China in the last century. Through various political campaigns, the Chinese Communist Party sought to destroy the traditions that thrived for thousands of years, including moral values and the belief in the Divine.
Mr. Erfle said, “The message in this song in the first half, about the development, that everything grows, thrives, exists, and degenerates … we are basically already in the last step towards decay, you could say. That was a realization today, which I will definitely take with me.”
“This ensemble shows, through their synchronization, that it only works if we do things together when we listen to others. We are part of a whole. Take back your own self, and look at what the true values are,” said Mr. Köhler. “[Shen Yun] also brings a clear message: to find your way back to the Creator. It’s not over when I die, there’s more. Everyone has to work that out for themselves, but this message came across clearly and of course it hits the mark with me.”
He said, Shen Yun is “monumental, but it also has an important message, an important message for everyone, for society, but also for each individual. This message of spiritual orientation comes out clearly at the end.”
Ms. Jauch said, “You absolutely have to come here. You can hardly describe it, it’s a wonderful feeling, which you can’t really describe. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Shen Yun’s world tour continues through Germany, with five more performances set in Mülheim from Feb. 22 to 25.
NTD News, Ludwigsburg, Germany
