Shen Yun Performing Arts is performing around the globe with its all-new 2024 program. On March 2 and 3, theatergoers in Boise, Idaho, got a glimpse of China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture from before Communism at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts.
Among the audience was Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) who said it was a great opportunity to learn about ancient China.
“Wonderful combination of art and history from a vantage point that most Americans never see. And so, very thankful for the opportunity to come and watch and also to learn.”
“I think the culture, the costumes were absolutely incredible. I felt like the color was just so vivid and beautiful. And the talent is just incredible,” said Lisa Michele Chretien, a retired co-owner of EventMover Inc.
“When the men dance, it’s like there’s no gravity. They land so gently you can hardly hear them. And when the ladies dance, just so graceful and so beautiful. Every motion, every movement, absolutely perfect,” said Thom Juul, who is retired from the U.S. Air Force.
Traditional Chinese culture and values find their roots in the Divine, which Shen Yun showcases through classical dance and music. Theatergoers took note of a deeper message and praised Shen Yun’s efforts to share it with the world.
“I loved how it celebrated the Divine and the reality of mankind’s divine nature. And the reality of the conflict between good and evil and the hope that is through the Divine for mankind,” said Jarrett Finlinson Lever, a physician.
“The truth, forbearance, compassion, are principles that really are needed in society. It would really change society,” he added.
“I believe that tradition is the way we relate and connect with the past, and how we relate and connect to the future. And so to bring this 5,000 years of culture forward, hopefully, it will go on,” said Mr. Juul.
Jim Chretien, a retired co-owner of EventMover Inc., said one thing he took away was that the Chinese Communist Party “has no idea what they left behind, and the impact that the Chinese people genuinely have on the rest of the world.”
Audience members say Shen Yun is more than just a performance.
“This performance needs to be supported because it’s an accurate depiction of the history and the culture and the beauty of China,” said Brandi Swindell, founder and CEO of Stanton Healthcare and Stanton Public Policy Center.
She says that Shen Yun has shown her what the true China is.
“This performance tonight opened my heart and my soul to the true beauty of who China is, which I’ve always known, the people of China are beautiful. Communist China has really taken away that art and that culture and that beauty. And they don’t have the right and the authority to do it,” she said.
“I love the mixture of the purpose for them being here, the culture that they expressed, the interjection of humor. And that’s what made it a diverse presentation and one to be reckoned with,” said Mr. Chretien.
Shen Yun will perform at the Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College in Claremont, California, from March 8 through March 10.
NTD News, Boise, Idaho
