MISSISSAUGA, Canada—The CEO of Canada’s largest “merch” store was at the Living Arts Centre on Sunday to experience classical Chinese music and dance.
Steve Kumar, CEO of Philcos Enterpriser—Canada’s largest distributor of licensed music and entertainment merchandise—attended the Jan. 19 matinee performance with his wife.
“It’s a great show. I’m really enjoying it. I’m really happy,” he said after the performance.
The spirituality expressed in Shen Yun struck a chord with him, said Mr. Kumar.
“They are talking about Buddhism, they are talking about the soul, going to heaven, reincarnation. [It’s similar to] our Indian philosophy and values and that’s why I like it,” he said.
New York-based Shen Yun was formed by overseas Chinese artists in 2006 with the aim of reviving the essence of China’s 5,000-year-old divinely inspired culture.
Each Shen Yun performance includes at least 20 presentations of classical Chinese music and dance. Many of these are story-based dances, which dramatically portray legendary stories of China’s past and present.
Each of the presentations express cherished virtues of traditional Chinese culture, and have a timeless message or moral to teach, says the Shen Yun website.
Mrs. Kumar said she could relate to these themes—especially in the stories about ancient spiritual practices and beliefs.
“I like the story lines very much. It’s about meditation and I [do] meditation so I love it,” she said. “Everything is beautiful.”
She was also taken with the hundreds of handmade silken costumes that appear in Shen Yun. According to the Shen Yun website, the designers aim for “harmonic balance and contrast” with each piece—whether dressing a warrior, imperial queen, or celestial maiden.
“The costumes are amazing,” said Mrs. Kumar.
Reporting by Donna He and Justina Wheale
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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.
