FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Ariel Ortega, an artist specializing in sculptures and paintings, enjoyed Shen Yun’s opening performance at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 26.
Sitting in the audience, he was awed by every part of the show.
“The choreography was on point in every single aspect. [Everything] was so well incorporated that I almost forgot the orchestra was performing live,” Mr. Ortega said. “It was so amazing and spectacular to look down and realize it’s a live performance.”
The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006 by leading Chinese artists seeking to revive China’s 5,000 years of civilization that was destroyed by decades of communist rule.
Through classical Chinese, folk, ethnic, and story-based dances, the artists are showcasing to the world—the glory of China before communism.
Referring to the spiritual aspect of the performance, Mr. Ortega said he loved that Shen Yun is bringing people from every belief and cultural background together.
“The spirituality [of the show] was amazing because we are in the Western world and [uphold] a certain type of mentality. We shun Asian [ideas] because we are blinded and vice versa. People in different communities ignore each other, but Shen Yun is bringing them together and taking away that blindfold,” he said.
“The coming together of the East and West—that, for me, was the most touching part. We are all one, living on different lands. That was captivating for me.”
He also loved that Shen Yun is bringing people back to their roots because “if you don’t know where you come from, you don’t know where you’ll end up.”
According to the company website, “Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Mr. Ortega thought there couldn’t be a more fitting name.
“I can see the inspiration of the spirit flowing through [the dancers’] bodies. They’re letting themselves get carried by the spirit of the dance.”
Moreover, Mr. Ortega said the history and stories Shen Yun shared opened his eyes and mind to the divine.
“When you’re looking for [connection to the divine,] you want to ask yourself, ‘Am I following the truth?’ When you see the history of a nation—the thousands and thousands of years—you realize that everyone has been seeking the truth before you,” he stated.
“I started to think there is more than what’s in the books I’ve read. Those books were inspired by many previous books. They [in essence,] are all the same—it’s our inner nature. The Creator is like a hero; everyone needs a hero inside their soul. If you think you, by yourself, can save the world, then you’re just going to ruin it. We all need a higher being to look up to, a higher place than ourselves.”
Reporting by Teng Dongyu and Jennifer Tseng.
From The Epoch Times
