Assistant to Illinois State Senator: "I pray for the strength of the Chinese people" (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net) CHICAGO--Shen Yun Performing Arts performed at the Chicago Civic Opera House on Sunday afternoon, April 11. Dorothy Walton, the office manager for Illinois State Senator Ricky Hendon's district office, was very happy to have the opportunity to be in the audience. She found Shen Yun inspiring in ways that she did not expect.

"I think everybody should see this to know that if [you] hold true to your beliefs, that you always come out on top no matter what adversity is facing you. I was pleased because I was searching a lot in my life on different levels. And when I came here, this just confirmed a lot of things that we all go through--we can all take a message from this show."

Ms. Walton continued with this thought, saying "Hold on for a higher power ... [you] yourself want to know that you'll be able to come through adversity. And that just gave me a warm-and-fuzzy--I was just sitting here and I was like, "wow ... wow"--I was very pleased."

"I believe that God will always come and see you through. You need to hold true to your faith," she added. "So I pray [for] the strength of the Chinese people that they can get to know that there's a way, that they can have angels on their side; if they could just stand strong and hold onto their belief no matter what it is thrown at them, no matter what adversities, they'll still come through."

"It was phenomenal!" she concluded about Shen Yun.

Elaine Shaw, Shen Yun hostess Song Yang, Dorothy Walton, and Yang Sen

Chicago Alderman: Shen Yun has "deeper meaning than just dance and art"

City of Chicago Alderman Scott Waguespack had been wanting to see Shen Yun for the past two years.

"We try to get to Asia as much as we can but we still don't get to see anything like this over there," Mr. Waguespack said.

On Sunday April 11, he finally got a chance to watch Shen Yun with his wife at the Civic Opera House.

"This was fascination for both of us to sit through something like this and experience it with a lot of people that wouldn't normally see something like this," he said after watching the show.

"I thought it was fantastic. I was really impressed."

"In spite of having the many cultural experiences of Asia--it is part of my family--I think that something like this really brings out the deep culture that a lot of Americans don't get to experience," Mr. Waguespack said.

He noted that China's deep history has been suppressed over the years in today's China.

"I have had experiences over time with the Tiananmen Square and working with the political end of things where we are told not to look at the way things are from one perspective, from the Chinese government as it is right now," Mr. Waguespack explained.

"So, for me, to kind of look and be enriched by this dance and art-form, it is unbelievable."

Mr. Waguespack, a resident of Bucktown, has been an active community leader and has helped organize and coach underprivileged kids in Little League baseball and basketball. He is also a parishioner at a local church.

The art form presented by Shen Yun presented a deep cultural meaning for the Alderman, one that people of different backgrounds can connect to.

"If you read into the poetry that they sang with," he said, referring to the vocal performances with the translation of lyrics projected onto the backdrop, "There is deep meaning in every word that they said today."

The show has a "broader meaning" he said, a "deeper meaning than just dance and art."

Mr. Waguespack said he hopes everybody takes something back from the show, and each person will look back and say they learned something from it.

Scott and Jade Waguespack at the Chicago Civic Opera House

Shen Yun "A special treat," Says President of Arts Council

After the performance, Rita Lopienski, president of Bartlett Arts Council, said emphatically, "Bartlett loved the show!"

This was the first time that Ms. Lopienski has seen the Shen Yun show--a portal into ancient China's 5,000-year-old divinely inspired history through classical Chinese dance and music.

"It's really a special treat. And you know for me, it was actually an eye opener. It was really a neat way for them--through music and dance--to give history about China, both spiritually and some of the difficulties that are going on. You know, just showing it in a really unique way."

As for her friend, Ms. Mei, she hasn't missed a Shen Yun show since the first performance in 2006.

"From the beginning, every year I participated. I like the cultural promotion and because they talk about history. As each year goes by they bring out a story, an ancient story."

She said the meaning behind the stories were difficult to explain verbally, and performing arts was a powerful way of presenting the inner meaning of a story.

Referring to her friend, Ms. Mei said: "I don't think she can absorb it, but if you have a dance with the music, it's so easy to click into their minds, 'Oh ... that's the story.' I think it's very powerful."

Two dances in the performance, Nothing Can Block the Divine Path, and Astounding Conviction, tell contemporary stories about the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.

Ms. Lopienski said she was mostly unaware of the plight of Falun Dafa practitioners in China, but thought exposing the oppression through the arts was a good way of bringing it to public attention.

She felt keenly that the spiritual aspects of the show came through, and said: "I like it very much. I don't see why we can't do more of that kind of thing."

Ms. Mei with her good friend Ms. Lopienski

Musician: Shen Yun Orchestra Has 'perfect combination' of Chinese and Western Instruments

Rob Walker, attorney of criminal justice, a DJ and a musician, along with his wife Erica Walker, a social worker and former singer, attended the show.

"There were two things about the show especially important to me," Mr. Walker said.

"I am a musician and a DJ. I listen to all types of music from all over the world, and this is the perfect combination of traditional Chinese sound with Western instruments," he explained.

"I know they are Chinese melodies, I hear them and I love the ... the combination of being played with the Western and traditional instruments. So the music--I fell in love with."

Mr. Walker, who has been playing musical instruments since an early age, said Shen Yun's live orchestra has achieved a "perfect combination" of Western and Chinese instruments, creating a beautiful sound.

"When they were introducing the various instruments, you hear the violin, then you hear the Chinese counterpart, it was beautiful to see how it all meshes together."

The other aspect of the show, that struck him as important, was the dance programs showing the persecution of the peaceful meditation practice Falun Gong in today's China under the communist regime.

"My family were Jews who escaped from Russia, they escaped from communists," he said; adding that he could "relate when I see that."

Referring to the state-of-the art digital backdrops used in the show, Mrs. Walker, who used to sing at Harvard, said the show also provided a beautiful blend of modern technology and traditional dance and music.

"It was beautiful!"

She said she also loved the dance performances.

"Everyone moving as one and there were moments where different dancers would emerge and they would act as counter[point] to the group. I was really moved by the group ... and there was a variety, there were different types of dances, the 'water sleeves' [Flowing Silk], the fan dances ... it was a nice variety," she said.

Mr. Walker said that it was obvious that the dancers were enjoying what they were doing and presenting.

"There was a lot of love," he said.

Rob Walker and Erica Walker at the Civic Opera House, on Sunday evening.

Sources:

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/33196/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/33200/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/33227/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/33211/