Shen Yun graced the stages in Escondido, California, this week with three sold-out shows. One audience member said seeing 5,000 years of traditional Chinese civilization and culture brought to life on stage was an eye-opening experience.
Chava Mahelona, the owner of Kai’s Meatpies, said “this show was an awakening, it was just beautiful to see the passion that came in the performance, but also the culture, and learning a little bit more about history that I did not quite know before.”
“It’s just completely dynamic. It’s a full show,” said Rae Irelan, an entrepreneur and artist. “So that’s what’s so cool with even, you know, the projections and all of that are intermixed with the performance. It’s really amazing.”
Charlene Ewell, an accounting manager, said “there’s a lot of talent here. It’s something that we really are inspired to hear all about.” She added: “how they’re trying to keep the traditions alive before it was communist and it’s really quite amazing to watch.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese values which are deeply rooted in spirituality. Using classical Chinese dance and music, Shen Yun features stories of divinity and spirituality that have been lost under China’s communist regime.
Miss Mahelona said: “to see that there are people out there that are fighting to just be free, and ways that we should have that freedom everywhere.” She added that “the passion behind it is just incredible, to bring it to life in the way that it was, because there’s beauty in what I saw tonight. That is magnificent.”
Reese Irish, a business owner, said: “I love the message of hope and not focusing on chasing money and chasing success. Because real success is from God and heaven.” He added that “the communist oppression and persecution, people get persecuted in this world. And then the whole hope of being delivered from that and having hope and then dancing to the divine, doing flips in heaven.”
Miss Irelan said: “there’s so much going on in the world so for us to be able to find that like divineness within, you know, all of our cultures, but to come back to [the] creator or come back to God and have that connection point. It’s such an important message today, especially.”
Shen Yun will be performing in California until Feb. 4.
NTD News, Escondido, California
