(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts debuted in Mississauga, Ontario, Friday evening at the Living Arts Centre theater to a sold-out and highly enthusiastic audience.

"It's just marvelous," said Mississauga Member of Provincial Parliament Bob Delaney, who attended Shen Yun for the first time.

Mississauga Member of Provincial Parliament Bob Delaney.

Delaney is the representative for Mississauga Streetsville. He has also served on the board of directors for the Region of Peel's Multicultural Council.

He felt seeing Shen Yun helped him gain an understanding of ancient China. "I was really impressed with the backdrops all throughout. It showed some of the beauty of China. We were able to get some of the beauty of China and the diversity over here in North America."

He added that, through the show, one realizes the depth of ancient Chinese culture. "It's a tapestry of many different cultures and so much diversity," he said.

Mr. Delaney said that he would tell his friends and family about the show. "I want to organize a big group to come here."

"It's one [show] that you can't just see once. I hope they come back next year and we need more than three shows. We need four or five shows! We need more shows," he said.

Former Deputy Premier Deeply Appreciates Shen Yun

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George Smitherman, a former Deputy Premier of Ontario.

After seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts in Mississauga on Friday night, George Smitherman, a former Deputy Premier of Ontario, said he appreciated the hard work that went into the show.

"I enjoyed the show immensely. It was very clear to me that all of the performers have been working so hard and it was just beautiful to watch them. I really enjoyed it."

A lifelong resident of the City of Toronto, Mr. Smitherman was an Member of the Provincial Parliament for 10 years. He also served as a member of cabinet, holding several ministerial portfolios.

"I think you could see from the crowd, which was very mixed, that people were attracted to come to the show, which was, in fact, a cultural performance. I think that to have these traditional Chinese dances brought to life onstage this evening is a beautiful example of the multiculturalism that we celebrate here in Canada. And I think that, of course, what we wish is that these values we experience as Canadians be more available around the world."

Mr. Smitherman also gave a short speech at the VIP reception that followed Friday's performance. He said that he was glad to see so many people come out to see the show.

"I really want to offer congratulations to the performance as well as the artists who have demonstrated their hard efforts in such an excellent way. As one who has very little talent on stage like that, I really do appreciate it so much. Not just the beautiful costumes, but all the effort that the performers put into it."

He also congratulated the Falun Dafa Association of Canada for sponsoring the show and gave his support for the human rights struggle facing the spiritual group in China, where it suffers persecution under the authoritarian regime.

MP Recommends Shen Yun: 'Go and see the show!'

MP Paul Szabo

Liberal member of the Canadian parliament Paul Szabo attended Shen Yun Performing Arts' opening show at Mississauga's Living Arts Centre on Friday night and was impressed with what he saw.

"When the curtain first went up I was, like, 'Wow!' There was just this splash of color, beautiful colors--but it was controlled movement of color," he said.

Mr. Szabo represents Mississauga South in the federal legislature. He said he was greatly touched by the dances that told tales from both ancient and contemporary times in China.

"You appreciate the message combined with the music and the dance and the action . . . It was very powerful. Tremendous technique. It's fast moving, covers a lot of ground."

New York-based Shen Yun aims to recapture the essence of traditional Chinese culture and portray it through music and dance, delving deeply into the ancient artistic traditions and culture of China's rich 5,000-year history.

"When you bring all of the arts together--not only the color but the dance, the song, some of the words, some of the symbols--the permutations and combinations are so wonderful," Mr. Szabo said.

He said he appreciated how everything worked together as "one element. The choreography, the color, the costumes, the expressions, the movements--all of those things...They all work together, they're synergistic. It was really very nice to see."

He was also amazed by the caliber of the performers. "The professionalism--you can just see it there, the discipline . . . It's a very well refined group and very exciting to watch," he said, adding that he hopes more people will be able to see the show.

"I hope more people get a chance to see it and get familiar with the truth ... I hope people will hear about it, get an opportunity."

"So if anybody wants a recommendation, I would say 'Go and see the show and then you will share it with others and it will grow and grow and grow!'"

Source:

http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/28456/

http://theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/28461/

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