SAN JOSE, Calif.— Company CEO Carlos Masareje originally planned to attend Shen Yun’s performance in his hometown of Sacramento.
However, when he found out the dates conflicted with his travel plans, Mr. Masareje and his wife made a special trip on Dec. 29, to see the matinee at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose.
The performance was everything he hoped it would be. This was Mr. Masareje’s first time experiencing Shen Yun, but it’s definitely “not the last one.”
“It was very historical. The colors and the expression of the dancers were really nice, really nice,” he said.
“Wonderful, I think it’s wonderful. Some portions of the show were really mesmerizing. Phenomenal show. Congratulations.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by New York-based artists who dreamt of reviving and sharing with the world China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. Its eight equally-sized companies are slated to visit over 200 cities this year.
Though he’s not very spiritual, Mr. Masareje still appreciated spiritual aspect of the performance and thought, “It shows the inner power of the Chinese people—what they believe and what they try to express.”
In addition to the dancing, Mr. Masareje loved the solo performance by the erhu—an ancient Chinese instrument that is reminiscent of the human voice. Though it only has two strings, it is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions.
“That was really nice, to get that sound from only two strings—it’s really pretty nice.”
Referring to the live orchestra’s blending of both Eastern and Western musical traditions, Mr. Masareje said, “It encouraged me to listen to more of the music because I’m not familiar with Chinese culture. This is my first time [attending] something like this, but I really like it.”
Also in the audience seats were Ryan Maravilla, a military linguist, and his wife Grace. Mr. Maravilla loved the idea that Shen Yun presents a brand-new set of programs every year.
“The stories and the narratives are universal even if it’s not spoken and even if you don’t speak the language itself—it just comes through the expression, the emotion, and the music,” he said.
“I really enjoyed it. I would love to see it evolve and change, and see it again.”
Referring to the artists’ mission to revive traditional culture and raise awareness of the damage caused by communist rule, Mr. Maravilla said that the message was both clear and educational.
“The tradition really stood out. The traditional instruments, traditional movements, the athletic movements which were explained as always being a part of traditional Chinese dance—that was really impressive,” he commented.
“I do understand that ancient Chinese tradition have beginnings of spirituality, and I got to see that at the beginning [of the show] and how it was brought to the modern day. It’s very fun.”
Mr. Maravilla was very happy to see the emphasis Shen Yun artists placed on the importance of believing in the divine.
“I’m glad that the show is not shy to express it, or share it with the rest of the world,” he stated.
“It’s very bold. It’s much needed and, in the end, it’s a message of peace and love, unity. So, it’s a very good message. A good reminder.”
Reporting by NTD, Steve Ispas and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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