SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Mayor: Shen Yun Brings ‘Hope for Humanity’

Jan 25, 2015
SHARE
Mayor: Shen Yun Brings ‘Hope for Humanity’
Artesia Mayor Miguel Canales at Shen Yun Performing Arts, Jan. 23. (Michael Ye/Epoch Times)

HOLLYWOOD—Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company presented its second performance at the Dolby Theater on Jan. 23 before an eager audience. In attendance was Artesia Mayor Miguel Canales.

“Tonight’s show is extremely important, not only for the City of Los Angeles, but for our entire State of California,” said Mayor Canales during the intermission. “We have such a diversity, and [we need] to see not only the artistic ability of Shen Yun but also the history that involves the performance today.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, formed with a mission to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture that has been all but lost under the current atheist communist regime in China.

“Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Its stunning beauty and tremendous energy leave audiences uplifted and inspired,” explains the Shen Yun website.

Mayor Canales was impressed by the performance. “The performance was magnificent for various reasons: the artistic talent, the colors, and the history that is being portrayed,” he said.

“It’s something to be expected as far as you coming into a show that has great talent. But they’ve surprised me beyond that. I mean they are very acrobatic. They’re very flexible. And they’re very artistic,” the mayor explained.

According to the Shen Yun website, “Classical Chinese dance is composed of three main parts: bearing, form, and technical skill. Other than complete training in the fundamentals, it also entails systematic training in movements and postures, as well as very difficult jumping and tumbling techniques. And so, alongside ballet, classical Chinese dance is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.”

Mayor Canales was full of praise for Shen Yun.

“The music, obviously the orchestra was magnificent,” he said. “The soprano, her voice was just excellent.”

Shen Yun presents classical Chinese dance, an orchestra comprised of both Chinese and Western instruments, vocal soloists, and interactive backdrops and costumes, all in one evening.

“The backdrop is magnificent,” he continued. “Whether it was something popping out of the water or somebody going in. That’s just magnificent.”

“I’m amazed at the colors. They’re beautiful, spring, happy colors,” said the mayor. He said the performance “made me feel very relaxed. Very relaxed.”

The stories behind the dances also drew in Mayor Canales.

“There was one particular performance that dealt with the ability to be compassionate,” Mayor Canales said. “The hope and the compassion that is being given, is extremely important. There is actually hope for humanity based on just the music and based on the artistic show that is being displayed.”

“I think without compassion, we lose sight of humanity and what’s important to us,” he explained.

Mayor Canales was referring to The Power of Compassion vignette in which a group of Falun Dafa meditators was attacked by Communist Party policemen. While trying to arrest a young man, a police officer falls and hurts his knee. Rather than fleeing, the young man helps the resistant officer.

That piece depicts the plight of practitioners of Falun Gong in their peaceful resistance to the modern-day persecution by the Chinese regime.

Mayor Canales added that he had mixed feelings from watching the performance. “I’m sad,” he explained, “there are individuals that are not able to practice a simple act of meditation.”

In expressing his deep appreciation to Shen Yun, Mayor Canales said, “Thank you. Thank you for educating us. Thank you for going ahead and showing us that there is a beautiful, passionate culture, and I’m really happy that I’m here.”

Reporting by Michael Ye, Mandy Huang and Thanh Le

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform around the world. Shen Yun’s International Company will perform in Toronto until Jan. 25. 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.

Related Topics
Shen YunHollywood
SHARE