ST. LOUIS—As the weather holds unto to winter, Shen Yun visits the Midwest city of St. Louis nestled quietly along the Mississippi River. Among the attendees of the world-class performance are dance instructor Ashley Kern and soldier, teacher, and husband Tyson Kern.
“It was really great,” said Mrs. Kern. “The control and the abilities of the dancers were really fun to watch!”
Shen Yun brings classical Chinese dance and music to stages across the globe in an effort to vitalize the divinely inspired Chinese civilization.
“I’m definitely a lay person when it comes to the arts,” added Mr. Kern. “But, it was excellent! It was worth it. I’m really glad we came.”
Mrs. Kern teaches ballet, modern, and lyrical dance and has all but retired from dancing herself. Hailing from neighboring Illinois, she teaches at Studio 84 in Murphysboro. Mr. teaches military science and leadership training, elsewhere.
Mrs. Kern thought she saw the influence of classical Chinese dances on many of kinds of dance today.
As one of the most expressive dance forms in the world, classical Chinese can be used to tell stories. Shen Yun presents mini-dramas through this vehicle, some telling of ancient legends, others of current problems in China.
One such problem is spiritual persecution and lack of freedom in China.
“I think something that alarmed me was ...the persecution that was faced,” added Mr. Kern. Given that Shen Yun presents dances that depict persecution, it is not allowed in China.“I definitely wasn’t aware of that—now I am.”
“But as far as the arts go—wow! There’s a lot of talented folks,” she said.
“I'd definitely recommend it to a friend. ...We had seen a commercial about it on TV several weeks or months ago,” continued Mrs. Kern. “He surprised me with this for Valentine’s Day. We had just commented though, that it seemed like a neat type of show ... [We] wondered what it would be like, but I would definitely recommend it.”
Reporting by Cara Ye and Paul Darin
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.
