OTTAWA, Canada—Shipping business owner Jennifer Van Dusen received an unforgettable birthday present from her daughter on Saturday night—tickets to attend Shen Yun Performing Arts’ finale at the National Arts Centre.
The performance brought tears to her eyes and she raved about many aspects of the show, from the opera singers to the dancers, and to the ending in which good triumphs over evil. She said she could also relate to the lyrics of the vocal soloists.
“It takes a lot to make my cry, but I couldn’t take my eyes off your dancers, your singers. Gorgeous,” Mrs. Van Dusen said.
“I’m back every year!”
She said she could appreciate the classical Chinese dance that forms the base of Shen Yun’s performance, as her daughters were professional dancers at one time.
“Watching these dancers was a treat. It was amazing,” she said.
According to the Shen Yun website, “Classical Chinese dance is grounded in 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture, and is a dance art form built upon a deep foundation of traditional aesthetics.”
It is very rich and expressive and that made a strong impression on Mrs. Van Dusen.
“They are so talented. So very talented,” she said.
But Mrs. Van Dusen was saddened by the fact that young folks are persecuted in China today when they express themselves and their spirituality.
What also touched Mrs. Van Dusen is the point made by the masters of ceremonies that Shen Yun cannot perform in China.
“I can’t believe … I never knew they weren’t allowed to show this show in China. That is so sad,” she said.
In fact, the atheist communist regime in China has mostly destroyed the traditional beliefs and culture of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization. Shen Yun aims to take the audience on a journey through those millennia and to revive the traditional Chinese culture.
Among the 20 pieces that make up the Shen Yun show were three solo singing performances (male baritone, male tenor, female soprano) with lyrics in English, French, and Chinese projected on the digital backdrop.
Mrs. Van Dusen thought the messages in the lyrics were universal. “It’s for everyone. Everyone. Worldwide. It was for me. It was for my daughter. Everybody who’s got a heart,” she said.
In the final number, Buddha’s Compassion Shines Forth, the Lord Buddha appears and quells the chaos and ensures peace prevails. Mrs. Van Dusen loved this piece. “I always love happy endings.”
Mrs. Van Dusen’s husband, Dave, conceived of Swift Messenger Service in 1980, according to their website swiftexp.com. Today, Swift Delivery Systems has become a respected name in premium delivery and logistics services within Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.
Reporting by NTD Television and Rahul Vaidyanath
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. Shen Yun’s World Company finished its four-show run in Ottawa on Saturday and will now go on to perform in Montreal on Jan. 6-9.
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.
