MADISON, Wisc.— “I’m swept away. … The one word I can come up with is stunning—marvelous, marvelous,” said William Raftery, retired Wisconsin State Controller, after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company.
Through music and dance, Shen Yun takes its audiences to “vast open grasslands in one dance to the stately elegance of Tang Dynasty pavilions in another; from dusty yellow battlegrounds to tropical beaches to Himalayan peaks to picturesque scenery of the Yellow River Delta,” according to the company website.
“Beautiful, beautiful,” Mr. Raftery said. In 1996, Mr. Raftery, won the coveted National Association of State Auditors, Controllers and Treasurers award. In 2007, he was awarded the William R. Snodgrass Distinguished Leadership Award in recognition of his 18 years of service as Controller of the State of Wisconsin.
Attending with Mr. Raftery was Esther Chapman, former State Bureau Director for the Department of Agriculture. They saw the performance at the Overture Center for the Arts on Tuesday, May 7.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Ms. Chapman said. “They’re doing a wonderful job, and I’m so glad I saw the ads for it, and I got him out here because he’s enjoying it tremendously. It’s great, wonderful,” she said.
Both enjoyed the live orchestra, which combines both Western and Chinese instruments.
“It makes a lot of difference,” Ms. Chapman said.
Mr. Raftery explained that they are devotees of ballet and opera, and he felt that Shen Yun falls within these kinds of arts. Some people have noted that seeing Shen Yun is like attending a concert, an opera, and a ballet, all at once.
In addition, the performance shares the Chinese culture—through dances that depict its legends, myths and history.
“I’m a student of history,” Mr. Raftery said. “That’s been my long-held interest. I have been to the Far East. I’ve been to Japan and South and North Korea during the war, so many years ago. But I have not been to the Orient since then,… I’m so glad she saw this and got me into it. It’s excellent,” he said.
Mr. Raftery was also interested in the deeper messages in the performances, but hadn’t had time to digest it all yet.
In particular, he was thinking of lyrics which the tenor sang, which referred to “descending to the world” and “heavenly creations.”
“I think it’s a beautiful interpretation of Chinese culture and ancient history,” Mr. Raftery said.
Reporting by Chen Hu 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.
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