Calista Ferreira, an executive assistant said “what totally blew me away is when that curtain came up, with the smoke and the lilies, and just the stories. And the thing that actually has just blown me away is how do you do the timing?”
“It was so enchanting for me. I’ve studied Chinese culture and Chinese language, and so it was really great to see that on stage,” said Namphon Bennett, the owner of Miss Earth New Zealand.
“Seeing some of the stories brought to life, and just the beauty and the execution of the actual dance itself, but the power of the messages behind a lot of the performances as well,” said Namphon Bennett.
Shen Yun draws inspiration from China’s 5,000 years of civilization, as well as the virtues ancient Chinese people long embraced and passed down. Those include values like loyalty, filial piety and righteousness, which all play out in Shen Yun’s performances.
Lili-Anne Smiler, the marketing director at Kershaw Training said “what I realized when watching the show is it was so much more than that—it was education, it was a reminder of everybody’s divinity, it was spiritual, it was enlightening, it was humorous, the artistry was stunning, it was beautiful.”
“For me, it resonates a lot because, similar to our culture, we believe the same that we were once divine,” said Namphon Bennett. “It’s like seeing the beginning of where I’ve come from.”
“And this is where arts comes into it, isn’t it? It’s like exploring the human condition and looking beyond just this human world,” said Karen McMillan, an author.
“I was taking a good look and listening to the music side of things because I’m an artist musician; stunning,” said Maisey Rika, an artist and musician. “It’s definitely filling a beautiful gap in today’s day and age. The colors, I think about everybody coming together, kotahitanga, coming together, unity. And the dance and music and culture is really beautiful to see.”
Kay Gregan, a consultant at the Travel Brokers said “I sense within all the troop of dancers with everyone combined with this is their self-awareness, and living their lives outside the oppression of communist China. I think it is absolutely beautiful and keep doing so well what you are doing, and thank you for this opportunity.”
“It’s a beautiful marriage of the traditional and the modern, and the freedom of expression, and just being able to perform that on stage,” said Namphon Bennett.
