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Sister Betty Mohammad, who came to Shen Yun with a large group of friends. (Albert Roman/The Epoch Times)
PHOENIX—The majesty and beauty of Shen Yun appeals to those all over the world, no matter their heritage or background. One of those at the performance at the ASU Gammage Theater was Sister Betty Mohammad, who came with a large group.
Sister Betty started designing clothes based on Indian silk saris in the ’80s while living in Puerto Vallarta, but before that, growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was part of a dance troupe that got to perform for the legendary Katherine Dunham.
“Oh my goodness,” she said of the show, “it was overwhelming—a very, very beautiful experience. They’re just exquisite.”
“I was just in awe of all the performances—I really, really truly enjoyed it. I was so happy I was asked to come,” she said.
She had heard of Shen Yun from Mother Tynnetta, an artist and the wife of the deceased founder of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Mohammad. Sister Betty was Mr. Mohammad’s secretary for a year in the 1960s.
“Every performance was exceptional, I really, really truly enjoyed it, very, very much,” she said. “And I wish I truly could see it over and over again.”
Shen Yun takes as its mission the revival of thousands of years of Chinese culture, which has been suppressed by the current regime in China. The stories and legends depicted in the show span from millennia ago to the present day.
Some of the pieces dealing with today’s China are about Falun Dafa, an ancient spiritual practice that has faced brutal persecution since 1999.
Sister Betty said these pieces were “eye-opening.”
“Because, even though they portrayed it as being in China, it actually happens all over, you know. It just brought an impactful understanding of how the civilization is today.”
Some dances stood out in particular, especially one where the dancers employ scarves of silk.
“The one that really impressed me the most was the one with the scarves. How they all were synchronized, and they just flowed so beautifully.”
The dance form used is classical Chinese dance, which the Shen Yun website describes: “Classical Chinese dance has a long history of thousands of years, and while soaking up profound wisdom from every era and dynasty, it has become a complete system of dance embodying traditional aesthetic principles.”
All the movements, she said, “involving the balance and the beautiful grace of every performer, is something to see. Very beautiful,” she said.
Much of what we know as acrobatics and gymnastics actually has its origins in classical Chinese dance—evidence of China’s vast culture influencing different realms of human pursuits.
And Sister Betty saw herself working toward a cultural performance inspired by Shen Yun.
“As I was watching all of the performances, in my mind, because I did dance and I’m familiar with choreography, I envisioned us doing something cultural, similar, working with beautiful fabrics, beautiful movements with the arms,” she said.
Reporting by Albert Roman and Ben Bendig.
Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company is next in Eugene, Oregon, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts Feb. 1.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
