Shen Yun Cultivates Interest in Chinese Legends

John Anders regrets he didn't have more tickets for some members of his family. (The Epoch Times)

WASHINGTON—The only regret that John Anders may have had when attending Shen Yun at the Kennedy Center of Performing Arts was that he didn’t have tickets for some members of his family. The performance on Saturday evening, Jan. 23, was sold out.

“We placed six tickets for this show, we should have ordered 10 because we had family members that couldn’t make it because we didn’t order enough tickets.”

Mr. Anders, who is a consultant with Deloitte Consulting, working for the Department of Homeland Security, has come to all three shows that have appeared at the Kennedy Center Opera House, since 2006.

Mr. Anders said his interest in Chinese legends was encouraged by his wife.

“My wife is Vietnamese, and [due to] her ancestry—her parents are Chinese descendants as well—so when they did the story about the Monkey King, I knew that, and this year [the show] brought in the master of the Monkey King. So it’s good to see how the show progresses each year.”

The example Mr. Anders gave is an an adaptation taken from a classic novel, Journey to the West, dramatized in dance and music. This year, the story told of a monk’s triumphant return from a long pilgrimage in search of Buddhist scriptures, and how he and his entourage are greeted by the great Tang Emperor.

Mr. Anders learns more about his Vietnamese wife’s heritage whenever he comes to see Shen Yun:

“On the way home from each performance, she tells me the Chinese history behind the story, and I know more and more, and she tells me how those stories were important to her as a child growing up. So yes, it’s wonderful.”

When asked about any particular thing in the show that stood out, Mr. Anders offered: “I really like the silk sleeves, Flowing Silk and this year with the handkerchiefs, Handkerchiefs watching the girls throw the handkerchiefs and have them fly back to them, that was amazing.”

On being informed that the Shen Yun Performing Arts company’s highly anticipated performance in Hong Kong, in a few days, was in danger of being canceled because six members of the show were denied visas, Mr. Anders expressed his thoughts:

“It’s shocking to learn that they are not receiving their visas to perform. I know that the Shen Yun Performing Arts company does bring light to some of the atrocities that are occurring under the Chinese iron curtain, but I think the performances do more to encourage Chinese American relations than to detract from them. So, I don’t understand.”

With reporting by Jenny Jing.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org