Chicago Fan of Shen Yun ‘It touches your soul’

Owner of Chicago’s oldest family-owned jeweler and estate buyer since 1899, Phyllis Horwitz of H. Horwitz Co., could be counted as one of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s newest fans.
Chicago Fan of Shen Yun ‘It touches your soul’
Jorge L. Ayala and Dorena Gregory are at the Shen Yun performance at Chicago's Civic Opera House on April 17. (Epoch Times Staff)
4/19/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015
CHICAGO—Owner of Chicago’s oldest family-owned jeweler and estate buyer since 1899, Phyllis Horwitz of H. Horwitz Co., could be counted as one of Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company’s newest fans.

In a performance staged at Chicago’s Civic Opera House on April 17, Ms. Horwitz said the presentation of classical Chinese dance by Shen Yun was “very beautifully done.”

“They are gifted, they are so gifted, and it was understandable what they were trying to display,” she said. “I’m telling all my friends they must not miss this.”

Shen Yun was formed in 2006 in New York by “a talented group of artists with a shared vision of cultural renewal,” according to its website. Their explicit mission is to reawaken the traditional Chinese culture, lost under decades of communist rule.

“The wonderful talent, the wonderful expression they were trying to depict, and the meaning of the feeling of the people. I was very impressed,” Ms. Horwitz mused.

‘I loved the choreography, just a beautiful show’

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Jorge_Ayala_mod.jpg" alt="Jorge L. Ayala and Dorena Gregory are at the Shen Yun performance at Chicago's Civic Opera House on April 17. (Epoch Times Staff)" title="Jorge L. Ayala and Dorena Gregory are at the Shen Yun performance at Chicago's Civic Opera House on April 17. (Epoch Times Staff)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1805362"/></a>
Jorge L. Ayala and Dorena Gregory are at the Shen Yun performance at Chicago's Civic Opera House on April 17. (Epoch Times Staff)
Also in the audience were retired photographer Jorge L. Ayala who was joined by Dorena Gregory, an office assistant.

Both loved the entirety of the show from the beautiful costumes, to the hi-tech animated backdrops, the Shen Yun Orchestra’s fusion of Western and Eastern music, and the dancers, singers and solo musicians.

Ms. Gregory loved the show. “The scenes and everything. The dancing is beautiful,” she said.

Mr. Ayala had seen Shen Yun perform in 2008. He said he liked the choreography, the costumes and the synchronization of the dancers. “The flowing and everything ... I loved the outfits—beautiful!”

As a practicing Taoist, Mr. Ayala appreciated the traditional values threaded throughout the show.

“I like their traditions as far as their ethics, good ethics... Good work ethics,” he said.

Ms. Gregory said, “The overall show itself I thought was beautiful. I loved the choreography—the togetherness of the dancers.”

‘It touches the Soul’

For the fourth consecutive year, Michael Lumb, a home improvements contractor, and his wife, Julie Wright, regional sales manager for a multi-national insurance company, were drawn to see Shen Yun.

“This is our fourth time here. So we enjoy it,” Ms. Wright said, adding that she appreciates “the dancing and the way that they move and jump and dance.”

Mr. Lumb said, “It’s like water flowing, so perfect. Nice motion; water flowing over soft rocks.”

Ms. Wright was of the same mind. “Very feathery, very relaxing ... happy,” she said. “It touches your soul.”

Reporting by Mike Chen and Raiatea Tahana-Reese.

Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company will perform at Chicago’s Civic Opera House to April 24. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

 

Related Topics