Shen Yun Performing Arts is touring around the world with its mission to revive traditional Chinese culture as it existed before communism.
The performance has touched the hearts of people from all walks of life. In Stamford, Connecticut, audience members said it was a unique, educational, and moving experience.
“I have seen the show several times now, and once again, it was brilliant,” said lawyer Peter Bee. “It’s a great cultural and entertainment experience.”
Every year, Shen Yun has a whole new production that showcases 5,000 years of Chinese culture through music and dance.
Conductor Harrison Valante, who’s been listed by “Marquis Who’s Who,” saw the performance with his wife.
He was especially impressed by Shen Yun’s live orchestra. “I particularly like the mixture of the different instruments, because it just added so much color to the performance.”
“I thought the conductor did a wonderful job. He really did. Because it’s not easy music. And they had to be exactly precise so that the dancers would always know exactly where he was. And it worked out very well,” he added.
“Overwhelmed, and chanted by it all,” said Diane Valante. “I’m wanting to tell all my … tears are coming to my eyes.”
Biotech executive Gregory Zaic saw the performance with his wife. He called the show an exquisite experience.
“Very, very moving, very colorful, very acrobatic,” he said.
“It was a lovely experience and so special and not like anything else that we’ve ever experienced,” said Cheryl Patterson-Zaic.
“I liked the message of compassion,” she added. “There was a spiritual element to it. That’s normally not something that we see in theater, or in the performing arts. And so I felt that [the message] brought something to the performance that made it particularly unique.”
Actor Connor Antico and his girlfriend said the performance brought smiles to their faces from the moment they came in.
“Loved it … it was great. Everyone was well prepared on stage,” said Connor Antico. “I couldn’t tell you how taken I was by how they can really just float. They just float. It’s like it’s from heaven.”
“[What inspired] me the most is the fact that there’s so much, I mean, it’s more than just the dancing. They’re sharing a story,” said Jennifer Shepardson, an associate producer of Fox News.
Shen Yun performs stories from ancient legends and stories set in modern-day China. All of the performances display traditional Chinese values.
A JP Morgan executive director said the performance was educational for his children.
“Impressed with the dancing to start with, the dancing was fantastic. But we’re certainly also interested in some of the messages,” said William Peak.
“It was great. Very, very talented dancers, they were fantastic. We brought our children because we thought we would get them to be introduced into the dancing and the show, and that we would learn something. And I think that was it was a big success.”
Shen Yun is currently performing in Boston, Seattle, Toronto, and Sydney, Australia.
NTD News, Stamford, Connecticut
