MODESTO, Calif.—General contractor Jeffrey Davis and his son Matthew attended
Shen Yun at the Gallo Center for the Arts on Jan. 9.
The duo thoroughly enjoyed their evening, and Matthew thought it was the most beautiful performance he had ever seen. For Mr. Davis, the show was “inspirational on a deep level.”
“I’m not ashamed to say that it brought a tear to my eyes multiple times, especially how bold they were to say that atheism and evolutionism bring nothing but destruction and darkness to the world,” he said.
“I loved the divinity of it. I recommend it to everybody in the world, and I’ll be coming back to see another performance.”
New York-based
Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.
Under the regime’s violent rule, China’s 5,000 years of
traditional culture were destroyed, and the spread of atheism was rampant. Yet, for thousands of years, Chinese people were very spiritual and believed that their culture was a gift from the heavens.
Shen Yun is now dedicated to reviving these traditions and showcasing to the world, through dance and music, the beauty of China before communism.
Mr. Davis couldn’t agree more with this mission and thought it was a “bold and honorable thing to attempt.”
“People who are doing it are sacrificing their own safety for humanity’s greater good, and I commend them deeply,” he said, adding that Shen Yun’s significance is “a deep spiritual reverberation throughout the population.”
According to the company’s website, Shen Yun’s orchestra is the first in the world to permanently combine Western instruments with ancient Chinese ones, such as the two-stringed
erhu and the pipa—a Chinese lute.
Seamlessly blending the grandeur of a Western orchestra with the ethereal beauty of Chinese melodies, Shen Yun
musicians produce a profound emotional range that captures the depth of the human experience.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Mr. Davis attended various live performances yet had “never heard anything that rivals the music of the orchestra here today.”
“I feel special that I was able to experience it,” he said.
Mr. Davis also loved the storyline dance depicting the idea that the Creator will come from the heavens to aid mankind in times of trouble. He thought it was absolutely beautiful.
“It was a great inspiration to me in this dark time. In the world that we live in now—where so many forces are coming against us—especially the Chinese Communist Party with all of its influence on the world. To see [
Shen Yun] felt like an antidote to the darkness of communism and Marxism. I feel like it needs to be broadcast to the world in every way,” he said.
“I appreciated the bold message [the artists] are speaking at this dark time in the world. Their lives are important, and their dedication to their art is important to the rest of us.”
Reporting by Gary Wang and Jennifer Tseng.
