SAN JOSE, Calif.—Retired college professor Tony Pino had a “wonderful” time at Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee when he saw it for the first time on Dec. 28.
“I really enjoyed it,” he said from San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts. The dancers “were wonderful—very athletic, very coordinated, very physical. They’re great.”
Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, the company preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through the generations.
Mr. Pino also loved the spiritual element of the performance. He was especially moved by the finale, which depicted the Creator descending from heaven and rescuing humanity in times of trouble.
“It’s great, it’s very, very beautiful,” he stated. “We need more of that right now, especially because we’re not spiritual enough.”
“It’s horrible what [the Chinese Communist Party] is doing to the Uyghurs and what they’re doing to other people. You feel the possibility of an autocracy looming in Taiwan, and I don’t like that,” he expressed.
“It’s a human right—the right to free choice, choice of religion, choice of speech. No one has the right to stop that. No one has the right to censor that.”
Mr. Pino expressed his thanks to all of Shen Yun’s performers for their dedication and efforts. “Thank you,” he said. “We’re very grateful.”
