Traditional Culture in Shen Yun ‘Absolutely Wonderful’, Says Allegheny County Council Representative

NTD Newsroom
Shen Yun
Shen Yun Performing Arts brought 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture to life—on stage—at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 26. Allegheny County Councilman Robert J. Macey attended the performance and presented Shen Yun’s artists with a proclamation to recognize their efforts.

“I think it’s wonderful that we can share each other’s cultures. What amazed me is that this has been sold out, over and over again. So there’s a desire to know other people, other cultures, and to enjoy what a wonderful experience this is. To see the color, the talent, and this synchronization of the people who performed on stage. Absolutely wonderful,” said Macey.

“I’m Croatian, and I was brought up to appreciate and preserve our heritage from Central Europe. So the whole concept of preserving cultures, and these are ancient cultures, is something very dear to my heart,” said Kozar.

“The fact that the spiritual heritage is so much a part of this, and it’s depicted beautifully in so many of the graphics and the beautiful technical pieces.”

Shen Yun's mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture and values that have been under attack since the Chinese Communist Party took power in 1949. The company also cannot perform in China because it shines a light on the regime’s human rights abuses and brutal persecution of faith.

“The message I saw was very subtle, but it was there. And the talent provided the overall message that not all places in this world is free, and that to have this type of an experience should be experienced by everybody,” said Macey. “I think it’s something that people need to understand that just because we live in America, a free country, that not every place in this world is free. We need to share our experiences, our strengths, and our hopes for other people in this nation as well as this world.”

“I’m somewhat familiar with some of the persecutions and the difficult challenges in the past and continuing today. And working with the Catholic Church, I know how there’s not a freedom of expression. And this is a wonderful way to preserve, in a very natural way with music and with dance in these technical developments, just make it that much more graphic and appreciated. So I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience this, and I feel the solidarity with what this is all about,” said Kozar.

“I would recommend it. It’s colorful, it is very inspirational, and the talent just goes on and on. It’s unbelievable how in sync the whole performance was. And I recommend it for everybody,” said Macey.

Shen Yun will perform at the DOLBY THEATRE in Hollywood, California, on May 3 and 4.
NTD News, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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