Director of UW Office Liked Shen Yun’s Spiritual Themes

“I like the colors, the choreography, the energy that the participant’s communicated, and I liked the spiritual themes,” said Stephen Pearson.
Director of UW Office Liked Shen Yun’s Spiritual Themes
5/9/2013
Updated:
8/14/2015

MADISON, Wisc.—“I like the colors, the choreography, the energy that the participant’s communicated, and I liked the spiritual themes,” said Stephen Pearson, which is saying a great deal about Shen Yun Performing Arts in just a few words.

Shen Yun is based in New York and aims to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. In fact, the artists that founded the company, sought the artistic freedom of New York in order to revitalize traditional music and dance that was almost obliterated under years of Chinese communist rule.

Shen Yun’s 15 short dances are interspersed with four award-winning vocalists performances. At the heart of the experience is classical Chinese dance, a very expressive and comprehensive dance form.

“Amazing,” was the word Mr. Pearson would use to sum up his reaction to the performance. Mr. Pearson is a counselor, who was recently hired to direct the Employee Assistance Office at University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Regarding the theme of spirituality, Mr. Pearson was impressed with a piece that depicted “the creator, that there is a creator and that [the creator]… will draw all people to heaven.”

The energy that Mr. Pearson noted in the performers stems from their practice of mediating before they go onstage. The practice follows ancient traditions in China in which the whole culture meditated before engaging in their work.

Accompanying Mr. Pearson to the Overture Center for the Arts on the evening of May 8 was his wife, Sue.

“It’s beautiful,” Mrs. Pearson said.

Mrs. Pearson was impressed with the technical feats that the classical Chinese dancers performed, the leaps, spins and aerial tumbling moves.

She was also gratified to see some of the dances depicting the struggle in China today for people of faith who are repressed by the ruling regime. “Certainly, the struggles are certainly poignant,” she said.

She considered the whole performance multi-faceted.

Reporting by Maureen Zebian and Sharon Kilarski

Shen Yun performs in Chicago for Mother’s Day weekend, May 10-12.

Shen Yun Performing Arts, based in New York, tours the world on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture. 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.