On the evening of April 12, Shen Yun Performing Arts appeared for its second performance in the Olympic capital Lausanne, Switzerland. The venue was full once again with theatergoers and some Swiss politicians.
Maxime Moix, a member of parliament in the Canton of Valais, said: “It’s the first time I witnessed a Chinese classical dance performance. I’m impressed by the quality, especially the very impressive costumes and choreography. You can tell it’s not the first time they’ve done this kind of show. It also gives us an impression of a culture we don’t really know in Switzerland. We only know the culture through the media. And to really see people sharing their ancestral culture, I found that really magnificent and quite moving.”
“It’s the second time I’ve had the honor to be invited,” said Daniel Sormanni, a Swiss parliament member. “It was magnificent, and a lot of fun to watch and listen to.”
“I too was impressed by the quality of the show, the artistic quality, the sporting and artistic effect, and the magnificent colors. But there’s also a big message behind it,” said Hubert Dafflon, a grand council member for the Canton of Fribourg.
“I loved it. I thought it was absolutely exceptional from an artistic point of view, but also in terms of its political message. I was particularly moved by the scene in modern China, and the values shown in this show are universal values,” said Magdalena Dafflon, an English teacher.
Through dance, music, and vocal performances, Shen Yun presents on-stage a glimpse of traditional Chinese culture. This tradition and its values kept one of the oldest civilizations on Earth thriving and prospering for thousands of years.
“It’s a message of respect and peace, and that’s what we need to take away, to take away from such a show that we should broadcast as much as possible on this Earth,” Mr. Sormanni said.
“We all have slightly different religions. But in the end, we all agree on the fundamental values of life, existence, kindness, honesty, and loyalty. And that’s the message. In the end, whether you’re European or Chinese, the basic values are the same. And that’s what’s very, very important,” Mr. Dafflon said.
Mr. Sormanni added: “these are values that are fundamental to life on Earth and to human beings, i.e. respect and freedom of expression. And I think that through this show, the company has been trying for many years now to get this message across more and more, so as to make people aware of what’s going on, in this case in China.”
Shen Yun consists of 8 companies that tour the globe every year. But there is one place they are not allowed to perform—China—the birthplace of the same culture they are trying to revive. Since the communist regime seized power in the country, it has been constantly trying to destroy the old traditions. That persecution continues to this day.
“Unfortunately, we all know what’s going on in China under this horrible regime. It is shown through the performance, through music, and the introduction. [I hope] that this regime will fall, and we’ll return to freedom and respect for human beings,” Mr. Sormanni said.
“Today’s China, which doesn’t tolerate certain behaviors, which doesn’t even allow such a show in its own country, is worrying for us democrats. And in that sense, I have a lot of respect for these people who dare to present such a quality show,” said Mr. Dafflon.
“It brings us back down to earth a bit, because in everyday life, we tend to forget. We tend to forget about all these precepts that have been given to us in this show, and which are very well put forward throughout the years and the lives of Falun Dafa [practitioners],” Mr. Sormanni said.
Mr. Moix added, “it was a moving, authentic spectacle, well worth seeing.”
Shen Yun completed a total of four performances in the Olympic capital and is heading toward the end of its European tour. The last show in the Old Continent will be in Graz, Austria, on May 11.
NTD News, Lausanne, Switzerland
