Shen Yun Performing Arts sold out The Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, on May 9. Once the curtain rose, audience members were greeted by myths and legends from ancient China through the medium of classical Chinese dance and live orchestra.
“Unbelievable, it was really wonderful. The musicians were fantastic and the dancers were absolutely gorgeous,” said Lorraine Janus Hathaway, musician and founder of The Norm Hathaway Big Band.
“Extremely well trained, everything was synchronized, choreographed. The steps were beautiful. The dancing and the costumes, the stories that were told. It’s something worth seeing and sharing,” said Bart Stanco, vice president and executive partner at Gartner Executive Programs.
“Really it takes you back. I think it’s great to really see what it used to be and how things are in Chinese culture. I feel very strongly that people should always think about their culture, where they came from, their ancestors, what they brought to this country, what they brought to the world,” said Harry Rilling, mayor of the City of Norwalk, Connecticut.
Faith and spirituality can be traced back to the roots of traditional Chinese culture. Today, these values inspire Shen Yun‘s performances and are a vital part of the company’s storytelling.
“The messages were very good, too. The messages, some of them were very traditional and faith oriented. That surprised me a little bit. For instance, when they said, ‘Behind atheism and evolution lurks Satan.’ I agree with that actually, but I don’t know how many people will around here. So it was very traditional and that’s a good thing,” said Selwyn Duke, a journalist for New American.
“It was interesting to learn your take on that and how you view things. They’re saying that He’s coming back and bringing peace and bringing salvation. I think it’s a good message,” said Jamil Hasan, author and podcaster.
“We all come from heaven. We all are one and we’re here for a period of time, and then we go back to where we came from. And it’s kind of like a circle, a cycle,” said Mr. Rilling.
Audience members took note of themes like forbearance, hope, and peace.
“They want to combat the secularism that reigns in our time, and of course that’s well represented by the Chinese Communist Party. They mentioned that, of course, this play could not be shown in China, unfortunately. They want to combat that kind of mentality, and that’s a very, very good thing. That’s what we all need to be doing, because, ultimately, what you have in the world is a battle between good and evil. That’s what it is. That’s the most fundamental way of defining things. You’re on one side or you’re on the other, and either you work to make the world a better place or you don’t. It’s as simple as that,” said Mr. Duke.
“I thought it was a great message of hope and peace and forbearance and prosperity, and hopefully that will continue. Despite communism, going forward in the future, hopefully [Chinese culture] will be as wondrous as it has been in the past,” said Mr. Hasan.
NTD News, New York
