HAMILTON, Canada—As Canada moves away from pandemic restrictions, people are happy to leave their homes and experience a fuller enjoyment of life again. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger found both entertainment and inspiration when he and his wife, Diane, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ first of two evening performances at FirstOntario Concert Hall on March 22.
“I find it absolutely brilliant in terms of color and dance. ... Everything is beautiful,” Mayor Eisenberger said.
“I think a lot of people are here ... happy to take some masking off and relax a little bit and get entertained. Everyone’s been yearning to get some entertainment and get some outdoor activity with other people. And so this is a great opportunity for people to enjoy that.”
He encouraged more people to grasp that opportunity and come out to see Shen Yun.
“It’s been very inspiring. The Chinese culture has a lot of history, probably not as well-known in Canada as it should be,” the mayor added.
“I see a desire for freedom. I see a desire for freedom of expression and desire to love. I think [it] encapsulates a lot of the traditional values that we hold dear here in North America,” Mr. Eisenberger commented.
Nevertheless, the New York-based performing arts company is making its best effort to widely spread the message of positivity and hope.
“We all need an opportunity to make it better. So any kind of an uplifting message—a positive message of how do we get along, and how do we not divide one another and continue to promote togetherness and freedom and unity—is a message that is well needed right now,” said Mayor Eisenberger.
“I can’t believe the amount of acrobatics that is involved in the show,” Mrs. Eisenberger said, calling it “stunning!”
She also remarked on the skill of Shen Yun’s dancers in being able to seamlessly interact with the animated backdrop. The innovative system—for which Shen Yun received a U.S. patent in 2016— lets the performers travel back and forth between the stage and digital background, making the storytelling aspect of the dances even more vivid.
“The timing of the dancers ... they have to be spot on to be able to do everything in conjunction with the animation in the background. I found that amazing,” said Mrs. Eisenberger.
No matter what story Shen Yun is portraying on stage, vibrant hues and the dancers’ warmth and energy are always present.
“It’s just a good lift in terms of color and dance and energy. It ... builds enthusiasm for getting through your day. So it’s a nice way to wind it up,” said Mr. Eisenberger.
“It’s very, very positive.”