SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

From the Mountains to the Sea

Jan 27, 2016
SHARE
From the Mountains to the Sea
Phill Gutierrez drove 116 miles to see Shen Yun on Jan. 26 at the California Center for the Arts and said it was "very inspirational." (NTD Television)

ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Phill Gutierrez and his wife drove from Big Bear Lake to see Shen Yun Performing Arts Jan. 26 at California Center for the Arts.

“We did make a trip [of it],” he said, “but it was wonderful, and we’re glad to be here.”

Mr. Gutierrez, a teamster who works for one of the largest unions in the country, said he thoroughly enjoyed Shen Yun’s costumes and orchestra, which includes traditional Chinese and Western instruments.

He described the Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra as a great mixture of sounds.

“You hear the Chinese flavor, but then you hear the violin and the cellos, the horn instruments, the wind instruments, and it was just a great mixture. So it was very, very entertaining,” he said.

Shen Yun is a New York-based, classical Chinese music and dance company with a mission to revive China’s rich cultural heritage through performing arts.

The performance includes vignettes that serve as a portal into China’s 5,000-year history, from the Yellow Emperor descending from the Heavens to rule the Middle Kingdom, and through the Tang and Song Dynasties, all the way to modern times.

Mr. Gutierrez was moved by the spirituality of traditional Chinese culture displayed in the performance.

“[It was] very inspirational, very inspirational,” he said, regarding the mention of heaven in several pieces. He also referred to one of the two vocal soloists in the performance whose song lyrics were displayed on a backdrop in both English and Chinese.

“One of the lines that stood out was, ‘Status and wealth cannot be taken with you.’ [That’s] very important because in this world, people strive for wealth and success, but in the end, you can’t take it with you—So, it’s very inspirational.

“The teachings of the ancients were just so spot on. It’s what this world needs today because our society is deteriorating, especially here in America. Our traditions [and] our values are just going down the drain. But here, in this musical, there’s still a message of faith, of hope, [and] an afterlife. That is very important,” he said.

Mr. Gutierrez added that the message throughout the performance was powerful, and he hopes more people will see it.

Reporting by NTD Television and Albert Roman

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.

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.

SHARE