LOS ANGELES—As the curtains closed on 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, actress Steffany Huckaby turned to her friend sitting beside her and said, “I actually forgot about all of the things I have to do, all my troubles.”
“I experienced pure joy watching this,” she said.
Joy and inspiration had bloomed from the medley of colors and dance on stage for Ms. Huckaby, who saw Shen Yun Performing Arts with her friend Elizabeth Carlson and wanted to share the experience with her young daughter when she returns next year, as “this could be a dream come true for her.”
Soon after the performance ended, Ms. Huckaby said, “I want to see this every year.”
Ms. Huckaby is an actress known for television series “Greek” and a number of independent films, and Ms. Carlson is an actress and producer known for “Smart Card,” “Player,” and “The Stranger.” Both are getting back into pursuing their careers in the entertainment industry, and Ms. Huckaby said New York-based Shen Yun became a source of inspiration.
“Unlike anything you’ve seen before here in America, unless you’ve seen Shen Yun before,” she said, referencing an orchestra with tones and instruments unlike any other and the array of costumes she saw. “I would say [it’s] just something that takes your breath away, that really delights you.”
Formed in 2006, Shen Yun is now celebrating a decade of touring the world, in its mission to bring the authentic traditional Chinese culture to audiences everywhere.
It was amazing to Ms. Huckaby in that “the music and the dancing, they told a story. I felt that they were just full of life and expression.”
She was also surprised to find herself relating to the spirituality of a culture so foreign. She saw themes of life beyond Earth, purpose, and not living to only pursue material gain. She said she “had no doubt there is influence from today” that would play out in her life.
Ms. Carlson said Ms. Huckaby hit on all the points of the experience.
“I was very impressed with the gracefulness of everyone, and the beauty of the unity of the dancers,” Ms. Carlson said. She had come because she wanted to better understand the Chinese culture, and Shen Yun did just that for her. “I find it to be very precious and very sweet.”
Reporting by Yaning Liu and Catherine Yang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
