Shen Yun is returning to Philadelphia with 10 performances Feb. 19 to 27. Federal, state, and city officials welcomed back the performers with letters and proclamations. They praised the production’s efforts to revive the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
“I think it was absolutely amazing to be able to sit here and witness history in the making, real-time, and being able to expose my child who I brought here today,” said state Rep. Regina G. Young, who saw the first performance at the Merriam Theater with her daughter.
“The courage, the vibrant colors, the history, the smiles, the amazing opportunities that people were able to just forge through to at least make their voices heard today, the stories that are being performed through art is amazing,” she said. “How we’re able to see that and understanding [it] is absolutely amazing.”
Audience members said they were captivated by the production.
“I thought it was absolutely fabulous. It far exceeded my expectations,” said Dr. Mary Swenson, CEO and founder of a global medical and wellness travel for treatment and medical tourism organization. She saw Shen Yun on Feb. 20.
“The costumes, the animation, and just the whole … also the narrative throughout the presentation was so helpful and informative, I just absolutely loved it,” she said.
“Oh my goodness, the physicality, the colors. You could just see the time and the practice that has gone into this, the dedication that has gone into this … it’s just been absolutely magnificent,” said John Miskell, vice president of sales at Civic Smart Inc.
“Spectacular, they were so coordinated,” said Gail Smith, founder of the Penn Hip Improvement Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine and a professor. “It was just perfect.”
They said the performance is not only entertaining, but also educational.
“What I learned is not only the beauty of the culture but the deep-rooted tradition,” said Swenson. “You could see everyone’s love for the traditional culture. And we really felt like we were part of that culture, how it was portrayed on the stage, so it was very, very well done.”
Shen Yun’s mission is to bring back China’s 5,000 years of civilization, which is known as divinely inspired.
“I believe that this message today, in this particular show, is a reminder that you were intentionally made on purpose. And [you have] some great things to do while you’re here on this earth,” said Young.
NTD News, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
