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Mr. Adam Koons and his wife, Mrs. Yukari Horiva are seen at a VIP reception for Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 28, 2011. (Robert Counts/The Epoch Times)
After the performance, a pair of world travelers shared their impressions.
“I’m very, very impressed. I thought the variety was wonderful,” said Mr. Adam Koons, a director of humanitarian assistance for an international development agency, operating in 45 countries.
“I also thought it was just beautiful. I mean, I thought that the costumes and the way it was presented, and the dance—it was really beautiful. I am very, very, very impressed,” he said.
His wife, Yukari Horiva, said she really enjoyed it too. “I am so happy to come here today,” she said. Mrs. Horiva said she has lived all over the world, including in Japan.
The New-York-based Shen Yun is the world’s foremost classical Chinese dance and music company. Shen Yun seeks to revive and restore China’s 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, including the spirit and values of the culture.
“I really learned a lot about the variety and the different styles and I thought the show was extremely well balanced. There was humor, there was sorrow and hope, there was entertainment,” said Mr. Koons.
Mrs. Horiva found the Buddhist elements of the Chinese culture really enjoyable because she could relate to it, being Japanese.
Working in countries such as Iraq, Sudan, Indonesia, and Laos, Mr. Koons said he is familiar with human rights challenges. He said it was very interesting to him that Shen Yun could not be seen in China.
He said he could relate to the kind of challenges that people have, where the authorities and the police are always watching, and where there’s no freedom.
Mr. Koons said that he thought Shen Yun's performances are a good way to get a message across.
“To show this much culturally, politically. It was wonderful,” Mrs. Horiva added.
DC is one of over 40 cities on Shen Yun’s 2011 World Tour, which includes Asia, Europe, Oceania and North America.
Reporting by Lisa Fan and Andrea Hayley.
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will be performing in Washington, D.C., at The Kennedy Center Opera House through to Jan. 30. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
