Tampa Theatergoers Resonate With Shen Yun’s Mission to Revive 5,000 Years of History

NTD Newsroom
Shen Yun
Shen Yun Performing Arts arrived at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts - Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Jan. 18 and 19. The company performs with a mission: to restore the essence of traditional Chinese culture from before communism.

“I was very touched by the culture and what the mission of what you are trying to uncover, because there's a lot of oppression in China, and I understand that. So thank you for what you do,” said Louis de Palma, a chiropractic physician.

“It is just magnificent to look at the culture from then till forward. It's amazing,” said Donna Gavin, a retired program director at John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. “I think to look at all these people dedicated and so proud of their history and their culture when it first came on, I started getting emotional myself. I mean it is, it's something to be seen.”

Shawn Dabish said, “I think it's very important for people to understand, to keep the culture alive, to keep the values alive, people need to be more understanding of other cultures and traditions and going back in time and history, China has a fabulous history that goes way beyond time.”

“I really admire different people's culture, so being able to learn a little bit more through the dances has been very enlightening, especially seeing that there is so much religion, and like you said, divinity wrapped around in the dances,” said Ingrid Kelmendi. “I think we forget where we come from. Otentimes, being able to go back to a different place and see what the traditions and the cultures of a different part of the world are can help us realize where our culture and tradition lies. I think it's really important to highlight those things.”

The essence of traditional Chinese culture and civilization is rooted in spirituality—and ancient Chinese people believed their culture was bestowed by the divine. Shen Yun draws inspiration from its five millennia history—to bring forward these traditions—through its story-based performances.

“I love the exposure to all the different types of Chinese culture that are shown in here,” said Richard Fiola, an engineer. “I follow some of the Chinese culture that goes on and I love the spirituality of it. I think it's a beautiful representation of what they're trying to portray. I appreciate the spirituality that goes into the performance as well.”

“I think when the Creator arrived, it showed why it's important to keep that tradition,” said Justin Fahringer, an attorney. “I thought that the focus on the good parts of people and not allowing that to go away is something that we need to keep.”

“The message to me was really all about love and how love is expressed in a certain culture, because every culture has their own way of sharing the divine message of our Creator, and it was such a beautiful way of showing that perspective from your culture,” said Louis de Palma.

Shen Yun will next perform two shows in Orange Park, Florida, on Jan. 28 and 29.
NTD News, Tampa, Florida

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