Elected Officials on Two Continents Praise Shen Yun

(Minghui.org) Seven Shen Yun Performing Arts companies continued their tours across two continents last week (January 13 - 19, 2025), and gave performances in the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, and the Netherlands. The audiences responded enthusiastically, and elected officials issued proclamations to show their appreciation.

In Poland, the demand for Shen Yun tickets was so high that the organizer in Lublin had to add another show. Tickets to the performances at the Grand Theater in Lodz were sold out in advance, and many audience members traveled hundreds of kilometers—from government officials to business professionals, from college professors to renowned artists, everyone who saw the performances praised Shen Yun’s successes.

In the Netherlands, all three shows in the Hague were sold out in advance. Some seats that were originally not for sale were opened up and quickly sold.

The momentum continued in Milan, Italy, where the theater was packed for six shows.

General Michael Flynn: A Beautiful Culture

General Michael Flynn saw Shen Yun perform in St. Petersburg, Florida on January 16.

Michael Flynn, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general and former U.S. national security advisor, attended a Shen Yun performance given by the New World Company on January 16, 2025, in St. Petersburg. He said, “Shen Yun was really a testimony to the true nature of what China could be if they were given an opportunity to be free, an opportunity to have a true Chinese culture that goes back thousands and thousands of years.

“Shen Yun takes 5,000 years and brings it to life … You’re going to understand 5,000 years of this beautiful culture in a couple of hours,” he continued, adding that this is something the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is afraid of. “I think what we see from the Chinese Communist Party is just the opposite of what Shen Yun is really trying to inspire the rest of the world to understand,” he explained.

Flynn said he saw why Shen Yun is very important for the United States, “There were 10 or 12 different stories. Each one of them was totally different, but they all blended together in this beautiful culture that I think that the American people need to see more of.”

He thought this was why the recent attacks on Shen Yun made no sense, “The New York Times is one of the major news outlets in this country in the United States. Why is a major United States newspaper working with the Chinese Communist Party to attack this beautiful piece of art?

“I believe that in the next few years here, we are going to see another shift in our country, embracing the true Chinese culture. And I think the people want to see change in China and the change of the Chinese Communist Party,” Flynn continued.

“One of the things that comes out of Shen Yun is a powerful sentiment of faith, and I know that the Chinese Communist Party wants nothing to do with faith. It’s a system of government that is very tyrannical. The vast majority of the Chinese people know that they are under the boot of a tyrannical dictator.”

Flynn again commended the company’s high artistic level. “The performance that showed the persecution was done superbly. They brought out this persecution and how people who are just trying to live their daily lives are being persecuted for no reason really,” he said.

Proclamations from California Lawmakers: Shen Yun Enriches Communities with Positive Messages

The theater was full, and the artists took two curtain calls during Shen Yun’s North America Company’s second performance on January 18 at the Music Theater’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.

Proclamation from California Senator Eloise Reyes

Eloise Reyes, a member of the California State Senate, wrote in her proclamation, “On behalf of the California State Senate, I commend you for the exemplary service you have provided to residents in the Greater Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions who will benefit from experiencing the 2025 Shen Yun world tour. I commend you for enriching our communities with the positive messages, educational and cultural value brought to us by the artistic Shen Yun Performing Arts.”

Proclamation from California State Representative Blanca Rubio.

Another proclamation was received from Blanca Rubio, a California State Representative, who wrote, “On behalf of the California State Legislature and residents of the Forty-Eighth Assembly District, I commend you for your dedication to championing cultural diversity for our residents to enjoy.

“Your enriching contributions through performing arts within our local communities is admired by many. Congratulations and best wishes for future success!”

Italian Parliament Member Thanks Shen Yun for Bringing Us Together

The Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company took the stage at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, on January 18

Michela Vittoria Brambilla, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy and former Minister of Tourism, saw a Shen Yun performance with her family on January 18 in Milan. She said Shen Yun presents China’s authentic, traditional culture and attracted people of all age groups in Italy and that its mission of reviving traditional culture is courageous and important. She thanked the artists for their efforts and the universal values they represent, something that she said “brings us together.”

As a businesswoman and a former journalist, Brambilla understands the importance of bringing back China’s traditional culture that was nearly lost. This will help people know something they could not learn from news media, and this is why she really appreciates Shen Yun.

She explained that the programs in Shen Yun are so excellent that even young children love them. Brambilla was pleased she had come to the performance with her family to explore the beauty and values of Shen Yun, values that need to be passed on to the next generation.

Impressed by the artists’ energy, Brambilla was amazed by how the dancers combined with the live orchestra presented such beautiful messages in such an extraordinary way. She felt they expressed their souls in their performances.

After witnessing the warm feedback from the Italian audience, Brambilla said she understood that the values presented by Shen Yun are universal and that they connect people of different ethnic backgrounds. Traditional values are very important. Even if they live far apart, people feel connected.

Dutch Mayor: Freedom of Belief Is Important

The second Shen Yun tour performance presented by the New Era Company at the World Forum Theater in the Hague, Netherlands, on January 17

Mayor Jan Rijpstra saw Shen Yun on the afternoon of January 17.

Mayor Jan Rijpstra, who is a member of the VVD Party, said he was amazed by the performances. “Fantastic. So beautiful. Especially the different forms of production, using video and compilations that disappear [on the back screen], then reappear out of nowhere,” he said. “And the singers are very high level.”

He said freedom of belief is very important and he wished Shen Yun continued success. “I would say [to people]: Come here, come see this, and let [the message] sink in. Take it home and do something with it,” he added.

Shen Yun