NEW YORK—Joseph DeStefano, Mayor of Middletown, New York, was “almost brought to tears” by Shen Yun Performing Arts’s opening performance at Lincoln Center on Wednesday. “My wife and I are so thankful that the show is here in New York City,” he said.
Shen Yun, based in New York, tours the world with the mission of reviving 5,000 years of divinely-inspired Chinese culture, along with its principles such as benevolence, honesty, and wisdom, according to the company’s website. This culture was nearly destroyed by more than six decades of communist rule in China.
Mayor DeStefano particularly enjoyed the dance called The Choice, that brings the audience back to modern day China, where basic human rights are questionable. “It’s a very strong message that almost brings you to tears.”
The Choice depicts the persecution of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong in modern China. A young man catches a thief for the police and is recruited into the force. Later, he encounters an old friend when she is with a group of Falun Gong practitioners protesting on Tiananmen Square. He must choose whether to beat her or to protect her and the practitioners.
