Curtain call at Saturday's performance (The Epoch Times)
The crowd responded with a standing ovation to close out the performance.
In the audience was Ms. Morris, mayor of a wealthy Toronto suburb, who described her Shen Yun experience as a “really incredible evening.”
“You feel like you are in another world,” she said. “It’s just so exhilarating. Just the caliber of the show, the performance, the precision of it, beauty of the costumes, the wonderful energy of the dancers and the singing voices—I think everything impressed us.”
Shen Yun goes beyond artistic beauty, says Mr. Morris, and conveys a beautiful message, as well.
“The meaning was very deep. It makes you stop and reflect,” she said.
Ms. Morris gave the example of the performance Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution in which an an innocent Chinese father is persecuted for his belief in Falun Dafa, a traditional spiritual discipline.
In the end, the piece conveys a message that good people are ultimately rewarded, even if not in this lifetime. Ms. Morris explained her feelings about this performance.
“The child was very distraught over the father dying, and then being able to just stand there and just accept the person she loved was going to a special place, a divine place; she was able to accept that and there was joy there. I thought that was very touching. I’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it. Very touching. I think I already admitted that, yes, it did bring me to tears. Very deep.”
This program's message is worthy of reflection, Ms. Morris said.
“The word 'compassion' came through. The words 'grace' and 'dignity' came through. [There are] many things that you could take away from the show. Society in general needs compassion, very much so. If we could all treat each other with compassion, it would be a much nicer place sometimes.”
Ms. Morris lauded the technical skills of the show's performers and production staff, highlighting the “precision,” “energy,” and “talent” of the dancers. “Just joyous,” she said.
She was dazzled by the digital animated backdrops, which interacted with the performances and projected lush scenery and historical settings.
“I kept trying to figure out: How are they doing that? The techniques that they were using were again lively, entertaining, extremely well done.”
Shen Yun presents Chinese dance and song with bilingual hosts. All Chinese lyrics in songs are translated and displayed on the digital backdrops to allow English-speaking audience members to understand. She was impressed with the depth of the show.
“The idea that we’ve just come into a show and watched 5,000 years of a culture coming together in just a short compressed time ... it’s telling the story and I think bringing the message to people, and we are all getting touched by it. I am just privileged to have been allowed to come and see a little bit of it tonight,” she said.
Ms. Morris explained what she would tell her friends about Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I would tell them; 'If you missed it this year, please see it when it comes back.' I know there’s a new production coming but if anyone gets the opportunity to see this show, they really should try. Very touching, very lively,” she said. “I would just say; 'Come out and see the show.'”
Shen Yun Performing Arts completes its current Toronto run at the Canon Theatre on Sunday but is scheduled to return with its all-new 2010 program sometime in January.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
