MILAN, Italy—Giancarlo Cattaneo, host of Radio Deejay and Radio Capital, said that Shen Yun was marvelous. He came to the Teatro Degli Arcimboldi on March 21 with his wife, Simona Magni.

Mr. Cattaneo said that although the culture depicted in Shen Yun is distant from their culture, they appreciate it. He felt “the great wisdom and great calm” emanating from the performance.

“In the final part there was a call to reflection, to comprehension, and to tolerance. It’s a strong message: just stop for a moment, and take the time to think, that’s the most important thing in this current time, and that’s also a thing that we forget too often,” Mr. Cattaneo said.

Mr. Cattaneo said Shen Yun makes “a very high divinity … more comprehensible and accessible.”

Simona Magni was impressed by the colors and the dance, but she said what moved her most was a spiritual aspect of the performance, “how it is transmitted through the dance and … could bring [people] through an interior journey.”

Ms. Magni, a teacher with background in philosophy, admired the dance Following the Creator to renew all things. She said it  reminded her Hyperuranion, the Greek idea of a place beyond heaven.

Beyond Heaven

Plato, disciple of Socrates, whose philosophical works had an unparalleled influence in Western thought, developed the idea. He imagined that the “Hyperuranion” was the authentic world of ideas, as opposed to the false world in which we live. It can be translated as “above the sky.”

Ms. Magni said: “The first scene of the show is like the Hyperuranion of Plato, that world beyond all the skies that has always existed and in which there are the unchanging and perfect ideas and thoughts.” She said the gods can see this world of ideas but humans can´t—it is a kind of a world beyond gods.

Shen Yun program book describes it: “High up in the heavens, we find ourselves in a sacred, divine realm. Suddenly, a golden chariot appears, signaling the arrival of the Creator. He announces to the deities his intention to descend to the mortal world and establish civilization on Earth.”

Shared With the People You Love

Fashion designer and owner of OneSoul, Azzurra Itri, said, “ It is the second year that we come to see Shen Yun here in Milan, and I must say that my expectations were very high and were fully satisfied because the show has been extraordinary.”

Riccardo Colombo is the general manager of OneSoul. He said, “Last year, we loved the whole show and we decided to return. We also brought our friends and our family because it absolutely is a show to be shared with the people you love.”

Inspiration

Ms. Itri said: “I am a fashion designer, and for me, it [Shen Yun] is always a great source of inspiration because all the Eastern culture, Chinese in particular, has the ability to mix colors and fluidity of costumes in a truly innovative way, for us Westerners.”

She liked “the way in which the female and male dancers manage to play with the costumes and colors through their movements to create a truly magical effect.”

Indescribable Grace

Ms. Itri said “the grace of the athletes is indescribable.”

She thought it was very unique that each year Shen Yun brings a completely new performance with new beautiful costumes.

“It is always a new show, so it’s really amazing and it is an unforgettable evening as always.”

Spirituality

Ms. Itri said that for her the spiritual facet of the performance was the most important.

“I am excited and touched by the fact that a company with such good artists is able to bring not only the beauty of the show but also [the beauty] of the deep spiritual content for personal growth. I really want to compliment them for that,” she said.

Mr. Colombo came up with a way to introduce Shen Yun to those who don’t know about it yet.

“You have to see it, absolutely must see it, there are no words to give you an idea, and no words can describe the depth of the show. You absolutely must see it.”

With reporting by NTD and Nataly Teplitsky

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006