FRESNO, Calif.—Business owner Larry Schneider and his wife, Beth, thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show on Feb. 3.
Though it was his first time watching the performance, Mr. Schneider said he wouldn’t hesitate to see it again when
Shen Yun returns the following year.
“It was a wonderful show. The cultural difference [stood out for me,] and the dance was absolutely fabulous,” he recounted in the lobby of the William Saroyan Theatre.
“The skill of the dancers was over the top. It was very entertaining and very colorful. I thought the dancers were just spectacular.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts is the world’s top
classical Chinese dance and
music company. Presenting a brand-new set of programs each year, the company has been delighting audiences around the world since 2006.
In the decades since the communist regime seized power, Chinese culture was forced to the brink of extinction. The
New York-based artists are now seeking to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture and showcase to the world the beauty of China before communism.
Mrs. Schneider was touched by the performers’
mission and thought their “messages were very clear.”
“It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” she said.
“[
Chinese Communist Party] they don’t want the world to see what is China—the perception and the culture that’s there. It’s still there, but it’s hidden under a cloak of communism.”
Referring to the divine aspect of the show, Ms. Schneider said that though she is not spiritual, it was still “enlightening” to watch
Shen Yun.
“It felt good to see [the spirituality] and know that there’s a group out there willing to show that even though it’s against what their country’s government would support.”
Shen Yun’s performance is comprised of a series of short pieces that take its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China.
Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances,
Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.
In addition to their plan to return and see Shen Yun again, the couple will be recommending the show to their friends and family because “it’s entertainment at a different level,” said Mr. Schneider.
“I think it’s a very good show. They would love to come to see this.”
Reporting by Lily Yu and Jennifer Tseng.
