CHICAGO—Along with Chicago community leaders and legislators, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and her husband attended the VIP reception following Saturday afternoon’s performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company. “Just wonderful, I really loved it!” she exclaimed.
Her husband, Zeus Preckwinkle, a history teacher, added that he felt the New York-based show was educational and his students would benefit from seeing it. “One of the things ... I could say—students in general in America have so little understanding of is traditions, and China, and the great diversity of China. And I think one thing I’ve noticed from reading about the Cultural Revolution is that a lot of that diversity was being suppressed.”
Ms. Preckwinkle agreed and felt that seeing Shen Yun performances added depth to people’s understanding of classical Chinese culture, “I think Zeus’s point is well taken: what little we may know about China leads us to believe that there’s one culture, as opposed to a multicultural country.”
On a different note, Mr. Preckwinkle added, “I think my students—the boys in the class—can look at the classical dancing here and say ‘Wow! I wish I could do that!’ I was really impressed!”
“I also appreciated the orchestra having been able to combine Eastern and Western music,” Mr. Preckwinkle said. Audiences world-wide have agreed, recognizing that Shen Yun’s orchestra is unique, blending as it does, both classical Western and Chinese instruments.
Ms. Preckwinkle concluded by saying, “I think these are fascinating performances, and I hope people come to see them.”
Reported by NTD Television and Jeanmarie Lunsford
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at Chicago’s Civic Opera House through April 24. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
Her husband, Zeus Preckwinkle, a history teacher, added that he felt the New York-based show was educational and his students would benefit from seeing it. “One of the things ... I could say—students in general in America have so little understanding of is traditions, and China, and the great diversity of China. And I think one thing I’ve noticed from reading about the Cultural Revolution is that a lot of that diversity was being suppressed.”
Ms. Preckwinkle agreed and felt that seeing Shen Yun performances added depth to people’s understanding of classical Chinese culture, “I think Zeus’s point is well taken: what little we may know about China leads us to believe that there’s one culture, as opposed to a multicultural country.”
On a different note, Mr. Preckwinkle added, “I think my students—the boys in the class—can look at the classical dancing here and say ‘Wow! I wish I could do that!’ I was really impressed!”
“I also appreciated the orchestra having been able to combine Eastern and Western music,” Mr. Preckwinkle said. Audiences world-wide have agreed, recognizing that Shen Yun’s orchestra is unique, blending as it does, both classical Western and Chinese instruments.
Ms. Preckwinkle concluded by saying, “I think these are fascinating performances, and I hope people come to see them.”
Reported by NTD Television and Jeanmarie Lunsford
Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at Chicago’s Civic Opera House through April 24. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
