SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is a Reminder for All Americans to Assume Their Responsibilities: Utah State Representative

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Shen Yun Is a Reminder for All Americans to Assume Their Responsibilities: Utah State Representative
Elected State Representative for District 26, Utah, Quinn Kotter (R) and his cousin, Nicole Mason, attended Shen Yun's evening performance at the George S. and Dolores Eccles Theater, on Feb. 25, 2023. Yue Yi/The Epoch Times

SALT LAKE CITY—Utah State Representative Quinn Kotter attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Theater on Feb. 25.

It was his second time seeing the performance, and Rep. Kotter thought the whole show was magnificent, enlightening, and deeply touching.

“The dancers’ portrayal is so genuine and deeply inspiring to me,” he said. “The flexibility, the strength, the athleticism, the beauty, the costumes—it’s wonderful. That must have taken hours of practice.”

“You can’t beat the live orchestra. It made the whole performance touch the heart.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of China’s ruling communist party. In the decades since the regime’s violent takeover, Chinese traditional culture was forced to the brink of destruction.

Now in the safety of America, these New York-based artists are determined to bring China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture back to life and share with everyone the beauty before communism.
Rep. Kotter was very impressed by Shen Yun’s mission. He loved the incorporation of spirituality and faith in the performance.
“That was my favorite part! There is a power higher that’s divine and higher than any government. That’s something very important to recognize,” he said. “What Shen Yun is doing is wonderful—keeping these lost beliefs and art forms alive.”
To meet popular demand, Shen Yun has grown since 2006 to include eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously each year. In 2023, the company is slated to visit over 180 cities across five continents.

Though Shen Yun is currently banned by the Chinese Communist Party from performing in China, Rep. Kotter hopes that “[Shen Yun] would give the Chinese people the courage to start waking up, to have the courage to bring back what was lost.”

Quinn Kotter presented an official letter thanking Shen Yun for their performance on Feb. 25, 2023. (NTD)
Quinn Kotter presented an official letter thanking Shen Yun for their performance on Feb. 25, 2023. NTD

“The effect that communism had on the light of culture—to see all that beauty in the dance be taken away—really affected me deeply,” Rep. Kotter said.

We need to realize and assume our responsibilities as citizens to prevent [communism] from happening here.
Elected State Representative Quinn Kotter

For him, Shen Yun serves as a reminder to all Americans that “we need to realize and assume our responsibilities as citizens to prevent [communism] from happening here.”

“If I were to ask ‘who is the emperor in America?’ It’s every citizen. It’s written in the constitution that every citizen has the power. So, if we don’t do our duties as citizens, the power will concentrate into a small group of individuals—that’s what we don’t want to happen in America.”

Referring to the story-dance piece depicting the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong—an ancient spiritual belief in the Buddhist tradition—Rep. Kotter thought the brutality was unfathomable.

“The freedom of your religion and your belief is so fundamental. It’s something that can’t be taken away by any government, by anybody. That’s something sacred to a person,” he expressed.

“It’s so inspiring to me to see people stand for their beliefs in the face of persecution. I’m just so thankful for what [Shen Yun] is doing. They are always welcome in Utah.”

Lastly, Rep. Kotter would like to offer Shen Yun artists his heartful thanks for their dedication.
“If you ever feel like you’re not doing anything, just know that you are inspiring millions of people. So, please, keep your efforts going.”
Reporting by Yue Yi, Mary Mann, and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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