Shen Yun is now touring in Canada. They performed in Montreal from Feb. 2–5. Audiences in Montreal appreciated the beauty of the performance and the culture that Shen Yun presents.
Mel-Annye Côté is an actress. She said Shen Yun is diversified.
“It’s extraordinarily beautiful, it’s powerful, really, as a show, it’s very diversified, that’s what I really appreciated because I really expected a dance show only, but in the end, it’s more than a dance show, there’s a very theatrical side too. There is also opera. The music, my God, the music, the live orchestra—it was a nice surprise because I did not expect that,” she said.
“Very interesting actually,” said Henri-Jean Bonnis, a business owner who was in the audience.
“It’s surprising how much we don’t know about China. So that’s what I came to look for with my daughter. To see a little bit more of China than what we see in the media and on TV. What it really is—and it’s quite surprising. It makes you want to know more about it,” he added.
“That’s it, to see the culture, the colors, the emotions, the theatrical aspect which was really put forward—I was really impressed by all of this,” said actress Myriam Sassi.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of spiritually inspired culture that existed before communism.
“In fact, it’s the fascination of seeing a culture such as China and understanding the history and evolution of China through a show—through songs, through dance,” said actress Kristine Boulanger.
Mr. Bonnis said: “I was quite surprised by that but I think it’s a good undertaking. Cultural transmission is something that is always vital—from generation to generation—Bravo!”
“I would say that it’s really worth it because from a cultural point of view, you really learn a lot,” Ms. Sassi said.
One of the scenes portrayed in the performance is the persecution of Falun gong in modern-day China. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient spiritual practice—based on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
“I must admit that the scene about the persecution is quite strong. I found it quite strong. In Canada, we are not used to that. These are not things that we experience. So yes. It’s very graceful, very graceful, it’s very elegant,” Mr. Bonnis said.
Ms. Boulanger said: “It’s heartbreaking to see that there are people who want to live in freedom and there is a government that oppresses them all the time – so they don’t have the freedom to do what they want—and above all to express themselves.”
Audience members also said Shen Yun is heart-warming.
“Definitely go, there’s no other option, you have to go see this show, it’s a must-see. February is always a hard month, especially today, so it allows us to take our minds off things, and be wrapped in warmth for a little while,” said Actress Mel-Annye Côté.
“It’s an energy that is transmitted—and we feel it throughout the whole show, it’s heartwarming, and I think it’s really good to go see this kind of show,” she added.
Shen Yun will perform in seven cities in Canada, this March—including Ottawa and Vancouver.
NTD News, Montreal, Canada.
