A performance that brings back 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture—Shen Yun—is touring around the world and inspiring audiences.
“Their beauty, their calmness, their peace, they’re embracing each other. I just think it was so well done, so beautiful, it just keeps coming to mind to me,” said Mary Ann Borgeson, the chair of Douglas County Commissioners, who saw Shen Yun in Omaha, Nebraska, on April 4.
“It was amazing, just the dancing, the colors, and music. It was incredible. I really, really enjoyed it and love the choreography and the storytelling,” said Jamaal Myers, who saw Shen Yun in Toronto, Canada on April 8. He is a city council member of Toronto.
“And we have just witnessed a quite extraordinary performance, and it is with great pleasure. I saw that the whole crowd, the whole public was enthusiastic and very happy when they left and I really think that’s a show that you have to see,” said Eric Danon, who saw Shen Yun in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 8. He is the French ambassador to Israel.
Many cities honored Shen Yun with proclamations, including Omaha and Toronto.
“I was very moved by the artistic quality. The beauty of the dance, the expressiveness [of] all the dancers, their earnestness, their belief in the message that you’re bringing to people about freedom, about virtue,” said Edward Morse, who saw Shen Yun in Omaha on April 3. He is a professor at Creighton University.
“It was wonderful, the choreography, just the color, the dance, it’s just really an incredible experience. It’s very, you know, uplifting, spiritually,” said Dean Baxendale, who saw Shen Yun in Toronto, Canada, on April 7. He is a publisher and the CEO of the China Democracy Fund.
“From the costumes, the dancing was very fluid and lyrical, and just what it was singing was incredible. The instrumentation, everything was just, it was beautiful, and very moving too,” said Tasha Kheiriddin, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. She saw Shen Yun in Toronto on April 7.
“There is the very clear initial message of artistic quality, artistic and the Chinese beauty, both in the aspect of the dance and in the aspect of the costume and also in the aspect of all the technology accompanying it, but behind it there are many, many messages of past versus future, present as well, and the fact of democracy and the meaning of democracy. So it is very relevant to what is happening here [Israel] today,” said Professor Miki Halberthal, the director general of Rambam Health Care Campus. He saw Shen Yun in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 8.
Shen Yun presents China’s traditional culture from before communism, but also shines a light on ongoing human rights violations in modern-day China.
“I think that to many in the audience that are unaware of what the Communist Party in China is doing today to Chinese in China, who continue and try to continue to adhere to Falun Dafa, this show is a wake-up call that the Western world needs to rise and wake up,” said Professor Jay Lavee, the founder and director of The Heart Transplant Unit at Sheba Hospital. He saw the performance in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 8.
“I think [it has] to be shown and this way [it] touches people, it makes them really understand it, feel it inside. So I think it’s probably very effective for Shen Yun and to bring this out. So we can bring some change and stop these things from happening,” Ms. Kheiriddin said.
“Hopefully China can recapture this tradition of virtue and freedom, and honor human dignity. And Chinese people can live with that joy in their spirit again,” Morse said.
Theatergoers pointed out themes like hope and spirituality in the performance.
“I think that spirituality was something that brought the show together,” said model Mikayla Finbow, who saw Shen Yun in Toronto on April 7.
“When I came into it, I didn’t really know about that aspect. But what I saw all formed this cohesive sort of theme, it really was shocking. I was like, wow, this is something that is important. And it needs to be talked about and recognised because spirituality is so important between Chinese people, Canadians, Americans, Europeans, everyone, it’s something that everyone can connect on,” she added.
“I think that divinity part is really amazing to think that we’re all you know, regardless of religion, or where you came from, that we all have divinity that we share amongst each other. So I think that’s a really beautiful message,” said June Hope, who is a senior commercial development manager at TwinStrand Biosciences. She saw Shen Yun in Seattle, Washington, on April 6.
“It brings hope. It’s hopeful. And that’s a beautiful message to leave with. Yes, there’s all of this pain and there’s hardship. But at the end of the tunnel, the hope is what keeps us going. Right. And that was just a beautiful, beautiful message to leave with to come away with feeling hopeful,” said singer Mirian Katrib, who saw Shen Yun in Toronto on April 7.
“It is a kind of feeling of elevation, of being able to look at such endless beauty. That’s the feeling, definitely a great feeling,” said Ricky Rosenberg, who is the chairwoman of Lion of Judah Israel. She saw the performance in Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 8.
Shen Yun presents new performances every year. Audiences said they would recommend it to others.
“I thank you humbly and, from the bottom of my heart, greatly appreciate this experience. And we’ll be sharing it as I can with others,” said Brandon Stevens, a biologist and environmental coordinator at the Washington State Department of Transportation. He saw Shen Yun in Seattle on April 8.
“I think I would tell my friends and my family that this was something that is needed both emotionally, physically, spiritually, and aesthetically, it’s a watch. I think it’s something that [has] a powerful message. It’s something you need to consume … I think it was very important to watch,” Ms. Finbow said.
“I just want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for … we got to see their gift and their talent. And they shared all of that with the audience tonight, I believe. They gave it all to us and I’m so grateful that they were willing to take their time and their talent and share it with the rest of Washington,” said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards, who saw Shen Yun in Seattle on April 8.
Shen Yun is performing at New York City’s Lincoln Center until April 16. Its world tour concludes in May.
NTD News, New York
