(Minghui.org) During the last weekend of April 2023, the eight touring companies of Shen Yun Performing Arts presented the beauty of China before communism to theatergoers in Mexico, Australia, Italy, France, and the United States.
Shen Yun New York Company performs to a full house at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, on April 30, concluding the company’s six-city, 30-show Italy tour (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun International Company performs to a full house at the Palais des Congrès de Paris in Paris, France, on the evening of April 29 (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun Global Company at The Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, on the afternoon of April 29. The company presented five performances in Stamford, April 27–30, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New World Company performs to a packed house at The Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, on the afternoon of April 29 (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun North America Company at the sold-out performance at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, on April 30 (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun World Company presented two performances at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on April 29, both to full houses. (The Epoch Times)
“I Was Completely Mesmerized”
Graphic designer Marilena Verderio (center) with family and friends at the Shen Yun performance in Milan, Italy, on April 30 (The Epoch Times)
“I was completely mesmerized. Truly charming. Those costumes were so beautiful! The material of the costumes was exquisite and soft and would float with the dance moves. These costumes have gorgeous fluidity. Their colors were great and matched with and complemented the scenes and set,” said graphic designer Marilena Verderio, who saw Shen Yun with family and friends in Milan, Italy, on April 30.
“The performance was so beautiful. It could help you see the beauty of life and beauty of hope through colors, music, art, and dance. The hope and messages in the performance were wonderful. She helped me open my heart to welcome hope – which is what I urgently need,” she said.
“Truly Breathtaking”
Elena Lorenzi, singer and vocal coach, and a friend at the Shen Yun performance in Milan, Italy, on April 29 (The Epoch Times)
Elena Lorenzi, singer and vocal coach, saw Shen Yun in Milan, Italy, on April 29. “This performance was truly fascinating. The combination of the diverse elements was truly breathtaking! The cooperation of the dancers was truly wonderful. Shen Yun displayed different stories in different sceneries. It was very appealing, and the quality was extremely high!” she said.
Ms. Lorenzi was impressed by the performance of the soprano. “She was very great! I truly very much like and appreciate her. The lyrics were very appealing and contained strong emotions.
“The music brought me into another realm. It was truly distinctive and very beautiful,” she said.
“Shen Yun Dancers Are Superior”
Francesco Gallo, Deputy of the Italian Parliament, at the Shen Yun performance in Milan on April 28 (NTD Television)
Francesco Gallo, Deputy of the Italian Parliament, saw Shen Yun in Milan on April 28.
“Compared to the dances we usually see, Shen Yun dancers are superior, especially the male dancers... The skills of all the dancers were superb!” Mr. Gallo said.
“Shen Yun’s orchestra was extraordinary. The music not only could make you feel you were in the scenes but was in such sync with the entire performance. It’s hard to imagine that this is something that a live orchestra could achieve.
“The messages of faith delivered by Shen Yun were astonishing. I completely did not know about this before... [After the performance] I developed a feeling from the inside of my heart... This was energy radiated from the heart,” Mr. Gallo said.
“A Divinity from Beauty to Eternity”
Henry de Lesquen, retired official, former radio host, and the president of the Carrefour de l'Horloge, a national liberal think tank, at the Shen Yun performance in Paris on April 29 (NTD Television)
“The performance was stunning from the beginning to the end. Very good. Very educational,” said Mr. Henry de Lesquen, a retired official, former radio host, and the president of the Carrefour de l'Horloge, a national liberal think tank.
“We admire the beauty and magnificence of the Chinese civilization, but today we learned how it is being destroyed by the current scary communist regime. So [Shen Yun] is truly conducting a devoted and excellent work, allowing people to learn about Chinese civilization.
“[The female performers] were always so graceful and exquisite. I’m truly very touched. It was so beautiful that it moved me to tears... You could feel a transcendence in level, a divinity from beauty to eternity,” he said.
“A Lot of Serenity and Harmony and Peace”
Frédérique Dumas, film producer and former deputy, at the Shen Yun performance in Paris on April 29 (NTD Television)
“It was really a magical moment that allowed us to travel out of time,” said Frédérique Dumas, a film producer and a former deputy to the National Assembly for Hauts-de-Seine, who saw Shen Yun in Paris on April 29.
“You can see an absolutely incredible technique and obviously you don’t get the impression it is easy when in fact, it involves hours and hours of work. The costumes are beautiful, the colors are beautiful, the music! Everything is very, very harmonious!” Ms. Dumas said.
She could feel that Shen Yun carries an energy: “You really feel it! It’s not just intellectual, it’s something you feel, which did me a lot of good and touched me a lot!
“In the translations, it was emphasized that one came from heaven to have a mission and that we are therefore all connected. And it is this feeling of being connected to each other, whatever the culture and whatever the conditions, that makes us feel all the harmony of these dances and this show.
“Faith is what really builds and connects us to each other... The message conveyed is strong because we have to be connected to something bigger than ourselves if we want to bring something beautiful to this Earth. I don’t think that human beings, if they are not connected to something bigger, can do much!” she said.
For Ms. Dumas, Shen Yun conveys “a lot of serenity and harmony and peace! I think we need to send these energies, to share them with as many people as possible because I think it does play on each individual. And I think that each individual here tonight will leave with this energy!”
“Food for the Soul”
Commander Phillip Anderson OAM RAN (retired), former Royal Australian Navy Band conductor, at the Shen Yun performance in Sydney, Australia, on April 29 (NTD Television)
Commander Phillip Anderson OAM RAN (retired), who formerly conducted the Royal Australian Navy Band, saw Shen Yun in Sydney, Australia, on April 29. He said it “brings another side of China to Australian audiences.
“I think they’re very lucky to be able to perform and do something they love and have the passion for it... To tell the story about Chinese culture to so many places in the world is such a noble thing to do.
“I think it’s brilliant that the company is able to do that... [Shen Yun] built their reputation over years to be so highly respected and to be allowed to present that story of China that we quite often don’t get to hear.
“The story they were telling radiated to the audience, and the audience instantly warmed to what they were doing,” he said, adding that it was an “uplifting feeling” that he felt was “nourishing my soul.”
Commander Anderson reasoned that the audience seemed uplifted after the performance because Shen Yun was “really food for the soul.”
“The performers were amazing, the dances were superb, and the energy on stage, you know, it’s communicating, telling stories through dance and music... It’s just a great way to break down barriers between peoples,” he said.
Commander Anderson said Shen Yun was a “joyful experience” that taught him “a lot about the depth of Chinese culture.”
He was also struck by the orchestra and, in particular, the erhu. “I felt totally enthralled with her performance and her mastery of the instrument. It just dazzled me... It pierced my heart. It was just amazing. I wanted to stand up and shout,” he said.
The blend of Western classical instruments with Chinese instruments “worked superbly,” he said. “The Chinese tones are different to Western, but there’s a lot of similarities too,” he added.
“The dance, the music, the performers, and at the end, we saw how small the cast was... But the whole performance was like it was huge! So they were working very hard—the costume changes and the dance from one scene to another, they worked very hard. They were excellent.
“I think the leaders of the company are doing a fantastic job, and I know how difficult it is... It is a lot of work—so well done to them.
“I would certainly come again... It’s the first time I’ve come to this and I was introduced to this by another friend. I would come again for sure,” said Commander Anderson.
Shen Yun Touring Company Arrives in Mexico
Shen Yun Touring Company arrived at the Monterrey International Airport in Mexico on the afternoon of April 26. The company was scheduled to present twelve performances in three Mexican cities April 28–May 10. (The Epoch Times)
“It Went Straight to Your Heart”
Héctor Ojeda, owner of a human development company, and his wife Nora Herrera, owner of a holistic center, at the Shen Yun performance in Monterrey, Mexico, on April 30 (The Epoch Times)
Héctor Ojeda, owner of a human development company, and his wife Nora Herrera, owner of a holistic center, saw Shen Yun in Monterrey, Mexico, on April 30, and described it as a “charming and first-world” show.
“Excellent, excellent!... The message they give during the play is very divine,” Mr. Ojeda said.
“For me it was wonderful, an explosion in my eyes with the dance... It was moments of ecstasy, joy, connection, the colors, the way of dancing, of expressing oneself, the faces of the people – it went straight to your heart,” said Ms. Herrera.
“They fill your heart. They also fill your head, and they filled me with peace,” she added.
“We saw that the Shen Yun artists enjoyed that passion. That was the connection we had, and that the public had with them,” Mr. Ojeda said.
Shen Yun’s mission to restore 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture connected with the couple. “We felt something very deep, a connection to Chinese culture that I was unaware of,” Mr. Ojeda said.
“We must not forget our roots, all the customs that ancestrally come from generation to generation... Those values that they transmitted during [the show] must be preserved and transmitted to the next generations,” he said.
Ms. Herrera said that Shen Yun’s messages help lay a very strong foundation for children to grow both emotionally and spiritually. “Respect, compassion, empathy, service, are very nice messages that I received,” she said.
The couple also took the opportunity to congratulate all the Shen Yun artists. “I haven’t had a great time watching a show in a long time... I leave ecstatic in every way and with great joy,” Ms. Herrera said.
“Purity, Dedication”
Sen. Mike McKay (right) at the Shen Yun performance in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28 (The Epoch Times)
Senator Mike McKay of the Maryland General Assembly traveled three hours to see Shen Yun in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28. “Absolutely wonderful... More than what we had expected,” he said.
He was impressed by Shen Yun’s dedication and mission to revive traditional culture.
“All the performers have just been marvelous. It was just really, really exciting to understand some of the historical background of the dance,” Sen. McKay said.
“Purity, dedication, and I think, more especially, understanding that we all came from the Creator—that’s definitely needed in our world today,” he said.
Referring to the ancient belief that Chinese culture is a gift from the divine, Sen. McKay said it was a pleasant surprise.
“I tell you—it’s been very eye-opening. One of the things I did not know was how much Chinese culture was actually based on spirituality. It was a very, very eye-opening and welcoming revelation,” he said.
Lastly, he would like to thank Shen Yun artists “for sharing the talents that the Creator has given them.”
“It Was Truly Amazing”
Senator Benjamin Brooks at the Shen Yun performance in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28 (The Epoch Times)
Maryland Senator Benjamin Brooks saw Shen Yun in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28. This was his second time seeing Shen Yun. His son bought tickets for him as a Christmas present.
“It was truly awesome. The way they tied in the 3D screen with the [live performance]—the virtual with the real—it was truly amazing!” Sen. Brooks said.
“I was very, very much impressed the last time I saw it and was just as impressed this time... This was a new one for me. I hadn’t seen this [program] before,” he said.
More than anything, Sen. Brooks was impressed by the traditional values depicted in the performance.
“It’s something that we can truly grab onto and hold. Values, ethics, integrity—these are all meaningful principles that we should try to live by,” he said.
“In the show, the things I can relate to would be—try to work together, respect the rights of all individuals, and try to appreciate the different experiences that we all have. I think that’s good!” Sen. Brooks said.
“It Shows How Connected People Really Are”
Cheryl Pasteur, Maryland State Delegate representing legislative District 11A, presented a citation in person to the performing arts company at The Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28.
“Music not only captures what’s going on on the stage, but it has to capture the audience as well. So having that blend means that it feeds to, if you will, the soul of the people who are watching and who are listening to the music,” said Maryland State Delegate Cheryl Pasteur after seeing Shen Yun on April 28.
“It is not just for what goes on the stage. It’s for what the people in the audience are feeling.
“It shows how connected people really are, that we are more connected. That’s what art does. It shows us how we are connected to each other, no matter what we think, no matter who we dislike, no matter who we like, no matter who we’re angry at. Art makes you understand we’re really connected,” Del. Pasteur said.
“Guided me into That Never-before-seen Traditional China”
Neale Zeringue, award-winning television news reporter (second from left), with his family at the Shen Yun performance in Little Rock, Arkansas, on April 29 (The Epoch Times)
Neale Zeringue, award-winning television news reporter, and his family saw Shen Yun in Little Rock, Arkansas, on April 29. This was his second time seeing Shen Yun.
“The excellent performance of Shen Yun artists is really so perfect. Especially when the dancers smile while dancing. Even though I sat below the stage, I could feel this enthusiasm and followed along and smiled,” Mr. Zeringue said.
“Allowed me to learn more about China. This was a kind of very good experience... Shen Yun artists fully demonstrated the culture and faith inherited from the Chinese ancestors. Truly eye-opening.
“I also found that the traditional cultures of the Far East and the West are so similar. Shen Yun guided me into that never-before-seen traditional China. The artists’ outstanding performance was truly fabulous!” he said.
Upcoming Performances
Shen Yun continues its 2023 tour with upcoming performances in Newark, New Jersey, May 7; Detroit, Michigan, May 7; Rochester, New York, May 7; Linköping, Sweden, May 7; Stockholm, Sweden, May 8–10; Sydney, Australia, May 7; and Mexico City, Mexico, May 7.
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