‘The dancers moved like butterflies’

AMSTERDAM—It is a quiet Sunday evening, April 19, in Amsterdam as the sun slowly disappears below the horizon. But inside the RAI Theater an appreciative audience applauds loudly, honoring Shen Yun Performing Arts with an extended standing ovation and three curtain calls. It was the final performance of the season for the New York-based Shen Yun on its European tour.

When the applause finally abated and most of the audience filed out of the theater, some stayed behind, wanting to see the musicians who were part of the orchestra. They wanted to see who so aptly played those Western and Chinese instruments, including the pipa and the erhu.

Hope

Ms. van Ommen peeked into the orchestra pit with a fascinated look in her eyes. She wanted to photograph in her memory the faces of the artists, as taking photographs inside the theater is not allowed. She is a professional photographer who said that she captures everything with clicks, in split seconds.

She attended the show with her daughter. The resemblance was obvious, only her daughter’s hair color was red. Ms. Van Ommen is very interested in Buddhism and Tibet, and thought it was important that two pieces in the show focused on current problems in China.

“One has to believe that everything will turn for the better—that things start to get better, that people start to listen to each other,” she said.

Inspiration

The photographer, who hails from the Dutch Druten, liked the artist’s faces—and also how the dancers moved.
 
“The choreography was perfect. Holland can learn a lot about China from these artists.”

She got inspiration from the colors and the costumes of Shen Yun.

“It was inspiring. The dancers moved like butterflies. The colors were perfect. I deal a lot with colors in my life, and those here have truly inspired me.”

Renewal

Ms. Van Ommen sees current world developments changing for the better and taking a different direction—from an over-emphasis on economics to more prominence given to art and culture.

The Chinese character for crisis means hope and chance, as Ms. Van Ommen learned from Shen Yun. This made a positive impression on her. Likewise, the translated lyrics of the songs by the vocalists transmitted a spiritual message that she liked. She said that values and respect play important roles.

"When dealing with one another, respect becomes more and more important.”

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org