Shen Yun in France: ‘I Had the Impression of Being in an Enchanted Interlude’
Feb 14, 2023
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Laura Vallée-Hans, an agricultural engineer, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts, in Tours, on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (NTD)
TOURS, France—For a weekend, the city of Tours was the host of Shen Yun Performing Arts. On Feb. 11 and 12, the Palais des Congrès in Tours vibrated to the sounds of traditional Chinese music.
Laura Vallée-Hans, an agricultural engineer in the south of Toulouse, was among the attendees.
“I honestly think I have never seen such a beautiful show!” she said. “I often go see classical music shows ... But this is absolutely fabulous! Whether it is the dances, the costumes, the coordination, the sceneries, the sound, it is incredible. We are completely carried away by the whole production. I will recommend it to all my relatives because, honestly, I am enchanted by this show!”
“I had the impression of being in an enchanted interlude,” Ms. Vallée-Hans continued.
The young woman confided that she felt like dancing: “At one point, my legs were shaking because there was so much emotion; it’s really passionate, in fact. It goes from joy to fun, to fear as well, and the desire to be with them,” she said.
This agricultural engineer felt a connection to the Divine, through, among other things, “the fluidity of the dances with the music ... the orchestra ... it’s extremely engaging. And the visual background is very important too. I felt like I was in an enchanted interlude.”
Sylvia Génot, a business manager in clinical research, enjoyed Shen Yun in Tours, on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (NTD)
Sylvia Génot is a business manager in clinical research. She thinks Shen Yun “gives a picture of China ... a real picture.”
“There is the beauty of China,” she said, “the culture, the art, the music.”
Sitting in the front row, she was impressed not only by “the colors, the backdrop, the costumes,“ but also by ”the expression on the faces.”
Indeed, she refers to this unique particularity of classical Chinese dance where the dancer can express his deepest emotions through his movements.
“You feel like you’re flying with them in the sky ... and it’s very touching,” she said. “Very touching!”
Both young women were moved by the dance describing the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is a Buddhist meditation method, which bases its cultivation on the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance. People who practice it in China have been subjected to brutal repression for over 23 years.
“I think it can bring messages about the ongoing oppressions ... about the injustices,” Ms. Vallée-Hans said. “And it brings it in a very artistic ... poetic way. I think it can touch people who wouldn’t be touched by those messages if it was said in other ways.”
According to Ms. Vallée-Hans, Shen Yun’s messages are about “taking care of life, of the living, accepting differences, and doing it all in a poetic way ... appreciating the beauty of life, in other words!”
