Film Producer Leif Bristow and his wife, Agnes Bristow, have made TV series such as “Wildlife Quest” and dramas like “Rising Suns.” Mr. Bristow is also a director at Ontario District Council. They have attended Shen Yun several times throughout the years.
“I always feel uplifted when I come to see the show,” Agnes said. “It’s very rich and everything you can imagine. The music is so beautiful and when I’m sitting in the audience, I feel like I’m transported somewhere else.
“It was humorous. It was visually beautiful. The choreography is magnificent as always.”
“I love this performance,” Leif said. “It was quite exceptional.
“Listening to the Erhu, it was one of the most beautiful solos I’ve heard in a long time. It was really captivating.”
The couple watched the performance at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre in Canada on Jan. 12. They said after watching the all-new production that there is always more to appreciate in the choreography and artistry of Shen Yun performances.
“I kept noticing how beautiful and unique each dance sequence, the wardrobe and costumes were,” Leif said. “They’ve really done it really elegantly. The blend of colors, the style of coloring, and just integrating the costumes into the dances is really beautiful.”
China had a culture built on beliefs from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Ancient Chinese believed their culture was a gift from the heavens. According to its website, the traditional culture presented in Shen Yun is what the current communist regime has systemically tried to destroy since it took power in 1949.
“It’s such a different art form,” Leif said, “especially for most audiences around the world today because you’re dealing with an art form that goes back so many thousands of years.”
“What the arts are supposed to do is beyond entertain,” he said.
“If through the arts we can open the imagination, or cause people to have a question, or to want to research or to learn more, then it’s a great way to open the door for somebody who might go back, ‘Oh, I gotta go learn more about this’ or just go research that period.
“If you don’t research your history, you’ll always fail on the future.
“History and tradition are important because it’s those elements of our cultural history and who we are as a people that help us progress forward in the future and become what we convey to the world.”
NTD News, Canada
