ORLANDO, Fla.—“I thought it was spectacular,” said Diana Bolivar, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando. She had just seen Shen Yun’s Jan. 23 performance at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre.
“The history—5,000 years of history—is just tremendous. I wish everyone here in central Florida would come to this. Phenomenal!” Ms. Bolivar said.
“Immediately, as soon as the curtain opened, I was so emotional.”
“The feeling of love, and faith—I thought it was really nice how they connected the heavens and the earth. Very impressive. You come out with renewed spiritualism,” she said.
Through story-based dances—China’s myths, legends, and contemporary stories—uplifting lyrics, animated backdrops that lift the veil between heaven and earth, and the spirit of the performers themselves, Shen Yun often touches theatergoers on a deep level.
“Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience. Originating from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, these ideals are the essence of traditional Chinese culture,” the Shen Yun website states.
Shen Yun’s mission is to bring back China’s true culture, one of humanity’s treasures, which has been nearly lost under decades of communist rule.
Ms. Bolivar said she was sad to learn that the spiritual meditation discipline Falun Dafa cannot be practiced in China. She was referring to the dance The Steadfast Lotus, which tells the story of a mother who is arrested for practicing Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong), with its core principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance.
Speaking of China’s traditional culture, Ms. Bolivar said, “I love the fact that we can bring it to America and to the world and be able to appreciate it and be educated about such an amazing culture.”
“My goodness,” she said, “to see something authentic and not what we, perhaps, thought it was—just amazing!”
Ms. Bolivar said she would absolutely tell others about the performance. “I wish I could have had my phone to be able to be tweeting or putting something on my Facebook, but, clearly, you know, we weren’t able to.” She said she hoped that Shen Yun would return next year so more people could see it.
Reporting by Kerry Huang and Louise Rothman
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. 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.
