On March 13, Shen Yun opened in Augusta, Georgia. The audience members were amazed and delighted by the performance that evening.
Dr. J. D. Chiou, vice-president of environmental closure projects and waste management for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, was delighted by the performance and commented that the artistic level of the performers was very high. “It makes me admire their artistic skills even more,” said Dr. Chiou, after he discovered that most of the performers had grown up outside of China.
“It is not easy for these young Chinese Americans to take the time and effort to study Chinese music and dance. They are performing at such a high artistic level. The show is really a pleasure and joy for Chinese people to watch,” said Dr. Chiou.
Dr. Chiou really enjoyed the stage backdrops. “They were very special. I have never seen gorgeous dynamic backdrops and animation like this before.” He also liked the dances very much. “The dance Drummers of the Tang Court demonstrated manly power in the Tang Dynasty. The dance The Mystical Phoenix was so beautiful. The dancers in this piece, wearing long, flowing dresses, conjured an image of a phoenix prancing about atop clouds, adding grace and elegant mystery,” said Dr. Chiou.
Dr. Chiou also thought the dances portraying how Falun Gong practitioners have been brutally persecuted in mainland China were very meaningful. “I think everyone should have the freedom of belief,” he said.
Dr. Qiu added: “Forcible oppression will only make the believers stronger in faith. Jiang Zemin’s persecution of Falun Gong is a violation of human rights. It would never happen in Western countries where there is freedom of religion.”
