SYDNEY, Australia—On March 21, company director Harvi Malhi and his family enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the Sydney Lyric Theatre. Before moving to Australia, Mr. Malhi owned a North Indian dance company that performed during the 2012 London Olympics in the U.K.
“We believe that music and dance can unite people from all over the world, regardless of your class, your color, your creed. Today was a great example of that. It really was,” he said happily.
As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China’s 5,000 years of history is rich with breathtaking legends and time-honored traditions. Yet within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, much of this magnificent culture was destroyed.
The spread of atheism rapidly undermined belief in the divine, and the cherished virtues drawn from Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were swept away.
Mr. Malhi was particularly moved by the story-based dances, which brought ancient legends to life while conveying traditional moral values and wisdom. What touched him most was the universal message that, regardless of background, people everywhere are striving to be good.
Though Shen Yun has received worldwide acclaim since its founding in 2006, due to the artists’ commitment to reviving traditional culture and raising awareness about communist party’s ongoing persecution of faith, the artists are banned from performing in China.
Mr. Malhi deeply lamented this loss.
“Some of the stories [were about] where we are as a culture and a people today, compared to where we’ve been,” he said. “If we get back to our core beliefs as human beings, it’s about being good people and helping each other out, and all of that comes from whatever faith you believe in; they all teach you the same thing—just be a good human being.”
Shen Yun, he said, “can give a great deal of inspiration. … We are made by the divine creator to elevate from this human form into something else, to go back to where we were. The soul is the only thing that transcends this life. Our body will come, our body will go, but the soul continues on its journey.”
“It has been such a profound experience for me and my family, and we would recommend it to anybody. We need to get back to that, we need to get back to the roots of our culture and who we are as human beings.”
