DENVER—As Colorado State Senator for District 28, Nancy Todd has seen Shen Yun Performing Arts nearly as many times as the years she’s served in office.
“Oh it was wonderful,” she said after the performance at Denver’s Buell Theatre on Feb. 18. “We have come to Shen Yun since 2007, the first year that they came to Denver.”
Shen Yun seeks to revive 5,000 years of China’s divinely imparted culture. Through music and dance, it is attempting to resurrect the culture after being decimated for over 60 years under communist rule.
Sen. Todd was elected in 2004, serving four terms in the House of Representatives before becoming elected to the Senate in 2012. She currently serves as the vice chair of the Education committee for Council of State Government, and she is a member of the executive committee for Military and Veterans Affairs for National Conference for State Legislators.
As for Shen Yun, “You know, I thoroughly enjoyed all of it,” she said. “I think just the exquisite dancing, the music, the story, and just the wonderful artistry that is performed—and the culture of China.”
She was especially impressed by the erhu, also known as the Chinese violin. She described the ancient instrument as “very peaceful.”
“I just kind of closed my eyes and almost drifted away and listened,” she said.
The music of Shen Yun is known for its unique blend of distinctive Chinese sounds with the grandeur and precision of Western orchestration. The erhu, in particular, “is one of the most important Chinese instruments, with a history of over 4,000 years,” reads Shen Yun’s website. “Though it has only two strings, it can convey a wide range of emotions.”
For all the expression contained in the erhu performance, Sen. Todd was possibly more impressed by the dancing, “and just watching the flow of the human body being so exquisite, and strong, and elegant was just delightful,” she concluded.
Reporting by Jennifer Zeng and Michael Fitzgerald
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.
