CHICAGO—Pamela Dittmer McKuen, journalist, writer, editor, professor, freelance feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, and author of “Expressionista: How to Find Your True Self Through (and Despite) Fashion”, attended with her husband, Arnold Shifrin, the opening night of Shen Yun on April 2.
“We are reliving some of the memories in China,” said Ms. McKuen, while watching Shen Yun’s depiction of 5,000 years of civilization through dance, music, and animated backdrops.
McKuen, who recently traveled throughout China, expounded upon the relationship between travel, culture, and interpersonal tolerance.
“I wish there were more people tonight, the more people travel, the more peace there will be in the world,” continued Ms. McKuen. “Once you know people and cultures, and countries, it makes you (build) better relationships and better understandings.”
Shen Yun is presented in both Chinese and English, which accompanies both cultural backgrounds for audience members with a background in both or either.
“We don’t understand any Chinese,” added Ms. McKuen. “So, I like the bilingual aspect!”
Shen Yun reflected classical Chinese culture and dance, something lost in modern China. The dancers come from different dance and music backgrounds but all share a deep dedication to the art.
“Oh, they’re beautiful,” said Ms. McKuen. “They are very talented; the caliber is excellent! We see ballet, we see modern dance, we see a lot of performances. The talent is incredible!”
Shen Yun’s different scenes and pieces offer the audience a variety of themes. One theme that many people gather from some of the pieces is the struggle of good versus evil.
“I see an honor and a respect for the fine arts,” continued Ms. McKuen. “I think that many cultures believe in a higher power, or a heaven, if you will.”
Many who see Shen Yun often want to recommend the show to their friends and relatives and sometimes even bring them the following night or year. Ms. McKuen mentioned using Yelp and Facebook to communicate a recommendation of Shen Yun to her friends and family.
“It’s an excellent performance,” concluded Ms. McKuen. “I would encourage anyone to come for a multi-cultural evening of top caliber talent!”
With reporting by Catherine Wen
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.
The 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
