VANCOUVER, British Columbia—The Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour, arrived in Vancouver for seven shows, ending on Wednesday with a standing ovation. Audience members praised the Shen Yun performers for their interpretation and revival of ancient Chinese culture and dance.
Ms. Jones, who has a background in the arts and entertainment management, expressed awe after seeing the performance. She said she was stunned by the performers’ profound expressions of Chinese wisdom and spirituality, describing them as “divine,” giving off “an energy of joy” and being “a pleasure to watch.”
She believes it is the performers’ love of what they are doing, combined with a strong commitment to bringing a message of renewal to the world, that allows them to express this so well.
“Most of all, I want to say that the dancers were so beautiful, and that they just showed, through their performance, their passion for this, that you could tell they were really trying to bring this message to us, of hope.
“This message was universal; the message of hope and peace right now is so important.
“I was brought up in Vancouver, and I’ve been involved with Chinese culture from a child. My father always honoured people of China and watched how they suffered and, really, they’ve had such struggle.”
Ms. Jones noted how the authoritarian regime in China has suppressed traditional Chinese culture and spirituality, two elements prevalent in the Shen Yun performance.
“The commitment and dedication of the performers is really obvious,” she observed.
Ms. Jones grew up surrounded by the arts: her father was an artist and musician, bringing her into the world of theatre and dance. But she said Shen Yun stood out as “the most spectacular of all”.
“The word ‘flawless’ truly does describe this performance. It is on a grand scale. It is an epic performance. It’s a spectacular performance. There’s nothing probably that has come close to it that I’ve seen in a long time,” she said.
Ms. Jones was also intrigued by the way Shen Yun allows Chinese to see a forgotten side of their culture, one that has been lost for decades under the current communist regime.
“They’re telling us a story of times when there have been struggles. ... This kind of music and performance, this level of performance, can only be done through being truly connected to a higher power.
“I can see that the performances brings out the more spiritual side of the beliefs, the peace that they long for in their own country.”
Ms. Jones brought her son to the performance to “expose him to some real culture.” When asked how he felt after seeing the show he replied, “It was breathtaking for sure. … The dancing, the choreography, everything was really tight.”
Ms. Jones wished the performers good luck on their journey around the world and said she fully supported their efforts to spread “this universal message of hope and peace.
“This performance shows that divine energy and love is universal, and we can all be part of this. [The world] needs this very much right now as we struggle through very difficult times on this planet.
“Everyone needs to have divine inspiration and entertainment like this. We lack culture, generally, especially our young people. That’s why I bring my son. I hope he influences his friends.
“It’s just something we are really missing, but this is beyond. This is world class. I am so glad that things have gone [so] well, and they are continuing to tour.
“I am very inspired and I am going to share with as many people as I can.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org