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Escondido, California: Shen Yun Performing Arts Dazzles Audience at the California Center for the Arts (Photos)

May 30, 2009 |   Compiled by Clearwisdom staff

(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts' final performance on the West Coast ended in the greater San Diego area in Escondido on May 28.

Spiritual Healer: "I just feel [the] spirit"

Dr. Shar Joy, a doctor of divinity, spiritual healer, and retired nurse, who now teaches meditation, truly enjoyed the show. "Well, let's see, the colors, the music ... I feel grounded. I had goosebumps through the whole thing. I just feel spirit."

Dr. Shar Joy, a doctor of divinity, spiritual healer, and retired nurse

Her enthusiasm about the Shen Yun show could be clearly heard in her words: "You have to go with the heart over the mind. Even before I came here, I felt that this is the place to be and to come. I always follow my heart. It's so simple, it's all about the heart. There aren't words to describe it--the feeling is that special. They're an amazing group of people. Their spirits just shine through completely. I am going to come to the one [show] tomorrow. You just feel compassionate and loving and feel the energy in the room."

Dr. Joy bubbled with happiness, "It brings up clarity and connectedness that we all feel, and when we can get out of ourselves, just let our spirits be. Just be human beings not human doings. And sitting there, just opening up and expanding without fear, without prejudice, without thought."

What amazed Dr. Joy even more, was to see with her own eyes a rendition of the present inhumane persecution of Falun Gong perpetrated by the Chinese Communist regime on its citizens. "Look at these people, dedicated, [despite] the oppression that's happening in China and around--to be dedicated to that practice and give their all and divinely so. I can see them glowing. And to go around the world, I mean, how can you not respect that and have total compassion for that."

She said that she liked the show "very much so. I've always had an affinity for the East and I believe both East and West are both good and need to be brought together, because we wouldn't all exist if it weren't meant to be all in harmony at some point. Like it feels like I've known you forever. Everyone looks familiar, and that's because of the spirit and that's what they [the artists] bring. They inspire. It's more than what I ever could have asked for. I could sit there for another three hours."

This show "brings you into truth. It's so simple and that's why people make it so difficult, and words get in the way all the time. If people could just sit in harmony and peace and feel all that vibration ... it's touching the soul, and I feel much more centered, much clearer."

She resonated with the culture and was positive she had experienced Chinese culture before. "It's familiar to me. ... I have had dreams of it. I have had dreams of being persecuted before in another life. What this does for me, it puts me back into my center more."

Holistic Healer, "I feel I'm floating out of here"

Ms. White, also a holistic healer, joined the conversation. "The show was beyond belief! I have never seen human performances like this in my life. And I go to many theatrical events. I want everyone I know to come and see. I loved all the Buddhist influence. It was just amazing ... I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I recommend it to everyone. One of the most beautiful things I have seen in my entire life."

Spiritually, Ms. White felt uplifted and as one with the artists' rendering of Chinese lore and the spiritual message. "I love the spiritual part because it goes along with my spiritual belief system ... because I love Buddha. I couldn't believe--it seemed like all the Deities were coming ... with the wonderful screen behind [the backdrop] It was beyond belief!"

She said with enthusiasm and amazement, "I feel like I'm floating out of here. A wonderful experience! We came to celebrate our birthdays and I can't imagine of a better birthday present for the two of us than to have had this magical experience."

Joining the conversation, Ms. Darielle Peugh, a metal artist, said, "This was a wonderful birthday celebration. It was marvelous. I didn't know what to expect. I would recommend it to everyone. The colors and costumes were incredible, were beautiful. It was a great experience--I really, really enjoyed it ... a great birthday gift. The music was wonderful. I can't think of a better gift [then giving tickets to this show] to give to someone you love."

Retired Software Engineer: "It is a spiritual journey"

Mrs. Dirkes, a retired software engineer originally from Soviet Russia, and her husband, a retired laboratory head of a university, were in the audience. "I like the cultural elements--the things I am not familiar with at all. Originally I am from Russia, and we were quite influenced by Chinese culture when I was growing up in the 50s and 60s. However it was more the culture that had come about as a result of indoctrination and changed by the Soviet influence, that's what we saw. We were not familiar at all with the different dynasties and geographical locations. It was all the same. This, tonight, is a multi-faceted Chinese culture. We liked that the most," Ms. Dirkes explained.

Mrs. Dirkes, a retired software engineer, and her husband

Mr. Dirkes added, "I liked the chronological aspects of it, from before BC to the present time. I think their techniques were great and very artistic as well. The two-stringed instrument [the erhu, a Chinese two-stringed instrument] was very nice, beautiful.

"Very well timed and accomplished dancers, and the singers--beautiful voices--and everyone was great. I had a chance to be face to face with another culture. It is a spiritual journey as well, because you see things here you will not see anywhere else."

"It was uplifting to the human spirit"

Mr. Sanders, a retired plumber and now a monastic ashram yogi, saw in the show the spiritual and said, "Finding god and seeking god is the ultimate thing you can do, and that's what it's all about, isn't it? That's why we are all here."

Mr. Walker, a chiropractor, teacher, and lecturer, and friend of Mr. Sanders, said, "It was great, totally uplifting. Surprising to me. I thought it was just going to be a pretty kind of dance show I could take my wife to, because she would like that, but this was way better. It was uplifting to the human spirit."

Mr. Sanders said, "The drums were nice, everybody likes the drums, and the women with the dresses, the flowers--the choreography was very good. I used to practice martial arts and I could tell they've had a lot of training."

Both agreed and Mr. Walker expressed their thoughts most eloquently when he said, "The message is that the timeless teachings of the Buddha are not weakened, they're strengthened--and compassion-- it's hard to beat compassion."

Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/17459/
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/17471/