(Minghui.org) During the week of January 14, 2024, Shen Yun Performing Arts continued to tour internationally with performances in Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan, and debuted in the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.
Shen Yun Global Company at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, on the evening of January 19. The company presented seven performances in Milan January 16–21, all to full houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New Era Company at the Milton Keynes Theatre in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, on the evening of January 17. The company presented three performances in Milton Keynes on January 17 and 18, all to full theaters. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun New World Company at the Memorial Auditorium at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 20. The company presented three performances in Raleigh on January 20 and 21, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Shen Yun World Company at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido in Escondido, California, on the afternoon of January 18. The company presented three performances in Escondido January 16–18, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
“Shen Yun Definitely Has a Very Positive Impact on Society”
Paola Frassinetti, Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Education and Merit, at the Shen Yun performance in Milan on the afternoon of January 21 (NTD Television)
“The soprano was outstanding. To me, she possessed very high-level skills... The lyrics were truly filled with divinity. Through her beautiful voice, the singer concretized a concept that is beyond this world and contained divinity,” Ms. Frassinetti said.
“The performance was incredibly beautiful. Made you feel very emotional.
“Shen Yun definitely has a very positive impact on society. The performance attracted people to pay attention to and pass on thousands of years of Chinese culture. People are definitely also grateful to Shen Yun artists,” she said.
Italian Senator Publishes Welcome Statement
On the first day of Shen Yun’s performances in Milan, Giulio Terzi, a senator and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, published a welcome statement on La Voce del Patriota’s website. He wrote: “Welcome to the artists and all those who make Shen Yun one of the most beautiful shows in the world.” (Screenshot of website)
American Audiences: “Shen Yun Told an Important Story”
Shen Yun North America Company at the George Mason University Center for the Arts in Fairfax, Virginia, on the afternoon of January 20. The company presented three performances in Fairfax January 20–21, all to packed houses. (The Epoch Times)
Kenneth R. Plum, former Virginia State Delegate, and his wife at the Shen Yun performance in Fairfax on the evening of January 20
Former Virginia State Delegate Kenneth R. Plum and his wife saw Shen Yun in Fairfax on the evening of January 20.
“Shen Yun is a spectacle: the dance, artistry, and production. I can’t praise it enough,” Mr. Plum said.
“Shen Yun told an important story. Different cultures of nations. Shen Yun is doing very well. It deeply touches me,” he said.
Dr. Ajay Vinze at the Shen Yun performance in Fairfax on the evening of January 20 (NTD Television)
Dr. Ajay Vinze, Dean of George Mason University Costello College of Business, saw Shen Yun in Fairfax on the evening of January 20.
“An audiovisual feast... Seeing Shen Yun allows our bodies and minds to be more enriched,” Dr. Vinze said.
“When I saw the coordination of dance, music, and everything else, as well as the perfect interpretation, I found it to be very interesting,” he said.
He also said that the performance emitted a kind of very positive energy and made one feel good.
Shen Yun Performs in Puerto Rico for the First Time
Shen Yun performed in Puerto Rico from January 19–22. This kicked off the company’s first-ever tour of the Caribbean island.
Photos 10–13: Shen Yun Touring Company arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 17, to kick off the company’s first-ever tour of the Caribbean island. The performers were met with a warm welcome from fans at the San Juan International Airport. (The Epoch Times)
Hongwei Sun, a principal dancer with Shen Yun (The Epoch Times)
“I want to bring the best of Shen Yun to Puerto Rico so that the people can get some good messages and be inspired by it,” said Hongwei Sun, a principal dancer with Shen Yun.
“Shen Yun performances are based on stories drawn from 5,000 years of Chinese culture, and we use these stories to express universal traditional concepts and values.
“These values such as benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, trust, sincerity, kindness, and tolerance are values that can benefit all mankind, regardless of language or ethnicity,” said Mr. Sun.
Brian Marple, a percussionist with the Shen Yun Orchestra (The Epoch Times)
“I’m very excited. I think we’ve done shows in Mexico, a lot of shows in Latin America... I’m really excited that we’re doing so many shows here. It shows that people are really excited about the show,” said Brian Marple, a percussionist with the Shen Yun Orchestra.
Shen Yun Touring Company at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A Ferré in Puerto Rico’s San Juan on the evening of January 21. The company presented six performances in San Juan January 19–22. Tickets for all six performances were sold out a week in advance. In response to the overwhelming demand, local organizers had to add seats with partially obstructed view to accommodate more audience members. (The Epoch Times)
“It Touches the Deepest Fiber of Human Sensitivity”
Luis Bonilla, a professor, at the Shen Yun performance in San Juan on the evening of January 21 (NTD Television)
Professor Luis Bonilla saw Shen Yun in San Juan on the evening of January 21.
“Absolutely beautiful. It touches the deepest fiber of human sensitivity and transports us to a different world. This show is out of this world. I feel very honored to be able to come see this show and to be able to enjoy it with my family. I recommend it to anyone who wants to have an experience beyond everyday life,” said Mr. Bonilla.
“Ancient Culture and Customs Must Be Recovered”
José Antonio Mellado at the Shen Yun performance in San Juan on the afternoon of January 21 (NTD Television)
Music producer José Antonio Mellado saw Shen Yun in San Juan on the afternoon of January 21.
“It is wonderful from the beginning to the end!” Mr. Mellado said.
“The dances were excellent and the Shen Yun performers were very professional.
“The ancient culture and customs must be recovered, they must be recovered,” he said.
As a producer, he assured that the program brought him a lot of inspiration: “It inspires producers to continue doing other things like this... Anything that promotes values is good.”
“It’s Really a Selfless Occupation”
Fletcher Murray at Shen Yun’s evening performance in San Diego on the evening of January 19 (NTD Television)
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Fletcher Murray saw Shen Yun in San Diego with his wife and daughter on January 19.
Mr. Murray shared that the family had originally planned to fly from Oregon to Tulsa to attend Shen Yun three years ago. Unfortunately, the event was canceled due to COVID.
“I kept waiting for something to occur—mystical and magical. [Shen Yun] was very, very, very uplifting. Very spiritual,” Mr. Murray expressed.
According to the company’s website, the name “Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Mr. Murray agreed with that description.
“It’s so true. I loved it,” he said. “The performers. What a gift, what a gift. I feel like they should send out a tip jar—it would be full. To see all that energy expended each night just for the enjoyment of others—it’s really a selfless occupation.”
Mrs. Murray also enjoyed the show. “It was beautiful, so beautiful and balanced,” she said. “It has some humor in there, which I liked. It’s really, really good.”
Mr. Murray, who had spent time filming in Beijing and Taiwan, is very aware of the human rights issues and the destruction of traditional culture in present-day China. Referring to the spirituality displayed in the show, Mr. Murray said, “It’s so encouraging.”
“America needs this too. America is also losing its spirituality. Church attendance is dropping off, and everybody’s got their face buried in the Internet. The worst imagery you can imagine is getting into our young people’s heads 24/7. It’s getting out of hand,” he explained.
“[Shen Yun] is a great way of [bringing] our own country back to its values because America was [originally] based on a lot of religious values. The Declaration of Independence, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident.’ We were the first country to have said that,” he said.
For more information about performance time, location, and tickets, please visit www.shenyun.com.
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