CHEYENNE, Wyo.—On March 12, Karla Miller, an author and former Middle Eastern dancer, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts for the second time at the Cheyenne Civic Center. This time, she brought along her husband, David, an engineer and hardware architect.
Mrs. Miller said she decided to return for Shen Yun’s 2024 season “because it’s amazing.” And it was just as good as she remembered it to be.
“Everyone moves as a unit and there is no one trying to hog the stage. You can tell that they really put dance above their ego, that really came through. It’s what makes it so beautiful. It’s just pure dance, I love it.”
Mr. Miller, on the other hand, was surprised by the size of Shen Yun’s production.
“It’s unusual to see completely live performances. Live dancers, live musicians—all of it. I think it’s stunning, really. It’s an exercise in visual storytelling. They move so well, even the acrobatics were perfectly synchronized,” he expressed.
“It’s amazing they’re able to move from historical events and legends to modern times. It’s very interesting how they tell the stories. You can’t miss it, can’t miss it. I’ve never seen anyone that can tell a story like Shen Yun.”
‘It Really Connects’
Mrs. Miller really enjoyed the opening piece depicting the Creator leading divine beings onto the earth to give humanity the gift of culture and tradition.“It’s kind of a universal story, and I liked that. It’s very obvious that it’s an expression of faith. It’s a universal message and I think it really connects. It’s all impressive,” she said.
“I liked the playfulness of [Shen Yun.] A lot of the storytelling was excellent, you could really tell what was happening in the interaction. The [long] sleeves dance—it was like flowing water. It’s just wonderful and beautifully done. I can’t recommend this show enough.”
According to the company’s website, the dancers’ silk sleeves were a part of ancient Chinese feminine attire representing humility and grace.
Mr. Miller, who plays the French Horn, loved Shen Yun’s musicians and live music.
Referring to Shen Yun’s mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and stand up for freedom of faith even in the face of persecution from the Chinese Communist Party, Mr. Miller said, “It takes a lot of courage to bring this message to the world.”
“The arm of the Chinese government is long. So, to go around the world bringing this message out is a very important thing. It takes some courage from the people; the performers and choreographers. Kudos to you.”
