Shen Yun Is ‘Really Breathtaking,’ Says Costa Mesa Audience Member

NTD Newsroom
Shen Yun
Shen Yun Performing Arts presents Chinese civilization from before communism. Since 2006, the arts group has toured the world with a mission to revive 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture and values, which ancient Chinese people believed were inspired by the Divine. On April 18, the company took the stage at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California.

“It’s really breathtaking, and I loved every minute of it,” said Debbie Harris, a business owner. “There’s a divinity out there, and we should all look to that, because that’s what holds us as people, and holds our ethics and our morals. And it’s very important in our life to look to that higher power and keep it in ourselves, in our hearts.”

“Something wells up inside of you with the music and the performances and the storylines. It really kind of pulls at your heart,” said David Severson, a business owner. “I love the message. It’s a beautiful message of just love and peace, and just the whole experience of old China.”

“Major culture, beautiful culture. And the vibrant color, it’s just really thrilling. It’s really nice,” said Carlo Karsouny, an entrepreneur. “They did a great job. Well done, very well coordinated. Amazing, A+ for them.”

“This is extraordinary. I haven’t seen any other country or any other dancers that can do what the dancers in Shen Yun can do,” said Nicolas Nguyen, a media company owner. “I think there’s a history behind everything, even the dancing. This is a real story that you’re actually telling, not by mouth, not by word, but it’s actually by dancing. The choreography is magnificent, it’s marvelous.”
Shen Yun is based in New York, and its artists are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world. And every year, Shen Yun’s artists bring an all-new program to the stage, with new choreography, music, and stories.

“I have never seen one person in one performance be out of sync. The movements are fluid and perfect. It’s absolute perfection. I really think that’s something that you don’t see in today’s world. It was spectacular in every way,” Ms. Harris said. “Performers, you are absolutely perfect. I can just imagine the amount of hours that you take to get it to that level of perfection.”

“It was spectacular. You forget that it’s live music. It’s just so choreographed beautifully, and then you realize that it’s live, and it just makes it that much more special. Just brings a lot of life into it as well,” Mr. Severson said.

“I think the movement of the dancers really portrays the flow, the state of flow from a Divine Being,” said Carlos Moran, a G.E.D instructor. “This one was a real eye-opener to understand the depth of Chinese culture. It really made me understand a lot of things, like gymnastics and other kinds of movement derived from that. So that was very impressive for me.”

“I feel very good after the show. Every year, I feel the same thing. I feel very light, no more stress,” Mr. Nguyen said. “It’s a show that you must see. It’s a show you must come to and you will feel the good in it that will spread through to your body, through to your mind.”

Shen Yun will perform at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, California, on April 25.
NTD News, Costa Mesa, California

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