OXFORD, United Kingdom—Alyson and Andre Dean enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Theatre in Oxford on Jan. 6.
Mrs. Dean, a retired reflexologist, said the show was “amazing.”
She took delight in watching the interplay between the graphics on the back screen and the dancers. “Very clever,” she said.
Mr. Dean, who retired as global head of trading technology in a large bank, said the performance was “mind-blowing. The way everything’s so integrated and coordinated—phenomenal.”
“There’s a spiritual vacuum in the world today,” Mr. Dean concurred. “And this brings it back to you that inside all of us is a spiritualness that some of us have forgotten. This brings it out again.
“Look at this, watch this. You'll think, ‘Wow. I have found that again,’” he said.
They had somber words for the allusion to communism in the stories told in dance. “This darkness of the communists, the way they’re treating the people who are trying to look to the divine.” He said it was horrifying to hear of crimes of organ harvesting that happen in China today. “In today’s world, the modern world, we don’t expect that. That’s sad but [the performers] told the story very well,” he said.
‘Interactive Screen is Amazing’
Mr. Kislitsyn praised Shen Yun’s classical Chinese dance and ethnic dance. “I think everything is almost to perfection—in relation to how people move—really synchronized. I think it’s really impressive and an unusual combination of dance,” she said.
The interactive screen really impressed him. “This interactive screen—I think it’s really cool,” he said.
Elena, a project manager, also liked how the interactive screen worked. “The interactive screen is amazing. Everything blends in together.”
Mr. Kislitsyn appreciated that Shen Yun promoted traditional Chinese culture before communism. He lived in the United States for two years and said there was a strong Chinese community there. He said Shen Yun’s presentation was different from what can be seen in China.
“There is really a dedicated group of people who actually made this possible and who finance and organize [Shen Yun] because it’s really a big deal to keep the Chinese culture separate from [communism].”
Mr. Kislitsyn said he resonated with the spiritual message of the Divine and Creator conveyed by Shen Yun. “I really like the whole concept.”
He said every nation has a similar understanding, “but it’s experienced slightly differently because of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. ... It was actually introduced really naturally. I really like that.”
