LLANDUDNO, U.K.—Shen Yun Performing Arts graced the stage in northern Wales for another sold-out show at the Venue Cymru on Feb. 8.
Jennifer Simpson, a senior associate and attorney, took her mother to visit Shen Yun for the first time. Being of Chinese heritage with her family from Malaysia, Mrs. Simpson was ecstatic that the company was selling out auditoriums to Western audiences.
“It’s nice that so many people in the U.K. are listening to this and experiencing another culture … it’s nice to broaden people’s awareness of other cultures in the world,” she said.
“It was brilliant; very vibrant, colorful, … very emotional,” she said. “It’s really good to show people the traditions of China … what it’s like there [currently] … and the history.”
According to the company’s website, Shen Yun presents “China before communism.”
“I’ve never seen anything like that before; it’s seamless,” she said, “very smooth transition between the screen and the stage … it’s very realistic … with people coming in and out of the screen like that.”
Having formerly visited Tian Tan (Temple of Heaven) in Beijing, she said she was “touched” by the background animated depicting scenes of ancient China throughout the dynasties, which reminded her of the historic towns she had visited.
‘From the Heavens Downward’
Steve Smith, NHS director, also saw Shen Yun for the first time at the Venue Cymru on Feb. 8, and it exceeded his expectations.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” he said. “Really mesmerizing to watch … something that I wasn’t really expecting.
“It was really joyful to see … and really [great] storytelling… it was really amazing,” he added.
“It really tells the tale … where we came from ... from the heaven downwards … from many, many years ago to where we are today,” said Mr. Smith. “I think bringing in all the ethics involved is really important.”
“[I] really enjoyed it,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.”
