(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts opened on Friday, October 9 at the Canon Theatre in Toronto. Among the audience was Member of Provincial Parliament, Michael Prue, who after seeing the show once before knew he had to come back. "I came once before two years ago and watched the show and I wanted to come back," he said.
MPPs Michael Prue (L) and Paul Miller, with Carole Paikin Miller, at the Toronto opening of Shen Yun Performing Arts on Friday.
Mr. Prue enthused, "The costumes, the choreography, the dance, everything is wonderful. I am a great student of history and it's good to see Chinese history portrayed in the way it is, and I admire very much the performers."
Mr. Prue appreciated that New York-based Shen Yun artists are keeping traditional Chinese culture alive through classical Chinese dance. "They were talking about the Tang dynasty and they were talking about the Manchu dynasty and such, and just what China was. You see China today to be just a big industrialized country so it's good to go back and look at this history. That's where the culture comes from. It's good to keep it alive."
MPP Encourages Shen Yun Performers: 'It's a Wonderful Thing to See!'
Member of Provincial Parliament Paul Miller and his wife, Carole Paikin Miller, a freelance journalist and teacher, also attended Friday's premiere. Both said they are "very big fans" of the show.
Mrs. Miller shared that she felt deeply moved and inspired by the performances. "The spiritual part of it comes through and it's the whole thing that drives the dance and the art and the interpretive stuff. I love that!"
She appreciated the profound meanings she saw in Shen Yun's story-based performances. "I love that because it's missing in today's media and today's entertainment industry. You don't get very many values any more. It's always at a superficial level. So this is the kind of thing that really inspires me. I love it. I came once before. I really enjoyed it."
"They have such colorful costumes, such wonderful dance. It's dignified, honorable," added Mr. Miller.
Mr. Miller was pleased that Shen Yun artists seek to revive ancient Chinese culture and values and present them to audiences around the world. "I believe in culture. I believe in people expressing themselves, and I believe that in this situation a lot has been lost."
Mr. Miller voiced his encouragement for Shen Yun's artists, "If these people can maintain the culture and bring it to the rest of the world, God bless them because it's a wonderful thing to see!"