“I really think what [Shen Yun does] is wonderful, and God willing, soon should be able to return to China and give its messages there in person,” Mr. Laird said.
Noting that he is a history fan, Mr. Laird said it is “so important” to bring traditional heritage back to the modern world as communism has “crushed cultures” around the world.
“Hopefully soon … we can go back to these places and see the amazing thousands of year-old histories in person. That’s my hope,” he said.
“China is an amazing country full of so many different groups and histories, and it all kind of gets smushed together because of what’s happened under communism,” he added. “I think it’s really important to get these messages back out about the importance of tradition in China.”
“I think it’s really cool to reconnect with not just traditional, but also spiritual roots of different traditions,” Mr. Laird said. “I come from a different tradition, but I think recognizing the divinity in every human being is so important.”
Mr. Laird said it is “tragic” that people are persecuted for their faith in China, and that “hopefully soon” such persecution will come to an end.
“At the end of the day, I think putting out the message like [Shen Yun] is doing is a great way to start,” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of people like me who are supportive—even if we’re not connected culturally or historically—we want to see China free. We want to see all the different religious groups in China be free, and God willing, that should happen soon.”
Mr. Laird commended Shen Yun for its perseverance in continuing to perform for two decades despite the CCP’s attempts to suppress the company, which tours internationally each year.
“I think it’s great that [Shen Yun] has been able to persevere for 20 years. That’s fantastic,” he said. “It speaks to the fact that there are many people that support the work [Shen Yun] is doing, and really want to continue to see what China was like previously.”
He said he is a “big fan” of arts, dance, and traditional Chinese dance, and the talent of the Shen Yun dancers is “just amazing.”
“It’s really beautiful to see.”
Mr. Laird said it was his second time seeing Shen Yun perform, and he attended the show with his parents. His father, Steve Laird, said it was his first time seeing the show and he enjoyed it “very much.”
“Love the variety of the different dances, and love the humour, and all the neat 3D things with the background is really cool,” Steve Laird said.
