Lebanon, Ohio, Mayor Mark Messer attended the performance to congratulate the artists on their return to Cincinnati and presented them with a proclamation in recognition of their efforts.
“I was honored to be able to write a proclamation just congratulating them on coming back to Cincinnati, the Aronoff Center, as well as their continued fight for freedom, equality, liberty of their own country and their own culture,” Mr. Messer said.
“It was absolutely beautiful and just breathtaking. Some of the movements they were able to do with their bodies, [such as] back flips," he said of the performance.
"The visuals were fantastic. The colors were amazing. They did an absolutely great job.”
Amanda Sias, an executive account manager, said: “The different stories throughout the show were amazing, and the orchestra and the accolades for the instruments at the end—everything was just perfect.”
Rebecca Hampton, a gymnastics instructor, said: “The stories were so beautiful. I was touched by so many of them. My favorite was the opening and the water sleeve. The technique was absolutely incredible.”
“I think we’re living in a culture today that does its best to squash the traditional values of the past, and those traditional values are what created the cultures that we stand upon today. We can’t let that go,” Mr. Messer said.
Stephen Beck, a physician, said that “culture is so important to all of us around the world, and preserving that, and preserving the faith, the divinity and the heart of the people, is so important.”
Dale Kirby, a business owner, said Shen Yun "spoke to my heart in many ways because of the persecution that’s going on in China. And so I’m glad that you’re bringing it to our country so we can see what China is missing and what China has brought to the world for the last 5,000 years."
Steven Kelly, the Salvation Army's regional CFO, said, “We very much enjoy the Shen Yun show. We are sad to see what has become of China and wish that the culture that has lasted for so long could return.”
