SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Mexican Cultural Center of Northern California Vice President Maria Morales was touched by the revival of traditional Chinese culture by Shen Yun Performing Arts, seeing the performance with her family at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, Jan. 14.
Ms. Morales, a Mexican American, has always held that traditions and the passing of traditions have great importance. Ms. Morales, who serves on the Cultural Center’s board, is also a managing partner and CFO of public policy research firm Jim Gonzalez & Associated. She previously worked in bilingual education for the State of California and was a TV host on KOVR-TV.
“We love how colorful the show is, how elegant the dance is, and we also love the beautiful traditions, the fact that it’s a 5,000-year tradition of dance and that they’re (Shen Yun) keeping it alive,” Ms. Morales said.
Through traditional Chinese dance, music blending East and West, brilliant costumes, and a digital background, New York-based Shen Yun revives 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
“As a Mexican American I am very much in touch with how important traditions are and how important it is to keep them alive, the most sacred or beautiful of our traditions, and pass them down to the next generations,” Ms. Morales said.
China was once known as the land of the divine, but the current regime has suppressed and almost destroyed the traditional Chinese culture.
Shen Yun told stories from myths and legends to present-day tales through its mini-dramas, carrying the traditional Chinese values through the stories.
Ms. Morales said she enjoyed the stories and the themes of good-versus-evil, for example in the story of Ne Zha and the dragon.
“I like that—and how good triumphs,” Ms. Morales said.
Ms. Morales said Shen Yun was something she wanted to recommend to her friends both for the culture and the beauty.
“I will say come and see a beautiful, elegant show that is in truth about a 5,000-year tradition,” Ms. Morales said. Through the performance, Ms. Morales said she saw the culture, and the values important to the culture, like good triumphing over evil, respect for the heavens, and all of it expressed through dance.
“It’s important to hold onto our traditions so that the next generations have something very solid to stand on,” Ms. Morales said.
Reporting by Jennifer Liang and Catherine Yang
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.
