HAMILTON, Canada—Paul Miller, a Member of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament representing Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, has seen Shen Yun Performing Arts three times. Like the previous times, he found Shen Yun to be a beautiful and culturally rich performance.
“It goes back thousands of years and different dynasties and different part of the country and different ways of doing things. It is like a trip through history,” Mr. Miller said after seeing Shen Yun at the Hamilton Place Theatre with his wife Carole Paikin Miller on Dec. 30.
Shen Yun preforms classical Chinese dance mainly, with some folk dances from around China and ethnic dances from the diverse peoples that make up the Middle Kingdom. Founded on a mission to revive 5,000 years of classical Chinese culture, Shen Yun draws from the history and spiritual traditions that have been repressed in China since the Chinese Communist Party came to power there some 65 years ago.
“It takes you through time and divine intervention. It shows the persecution that went on and people’s differences and different ways of doing things,” Mr. Miller said. “They are trying to express the culture of China the way it used to be.”
Mr. Miller emphasized the cultural value of Shen Yun in preserving China’s rich culture.
“Our life is computers and to see traditional dance from hundreds of years ago is interesting and fascinating,” he said.
“This brings back a little bit of wonderfulness and beauty to the world where we certainly need it.”
Mrs. Miller shared her husband’s enthusiasm for China’s traditional culture.
“There is a spiritual sense. When I am watching it, it makes me feel at peace. I feel very peaceful when I see it, it relaxes me,” she said.
“I find it just beautiful.”
She also took note of Shen Yun’s innovative backdrops that project a digitally animated setting that extends the range of the stage and interacts with the dancers on the stage.
“The cleverness of the backdrop and the way they bring the characters on the screen and they jump down to real life—I think that is very well done,” added Mrs. Miller.
“I like the way they almost appear out of the screen which is kind of neat,” Mr. Miller added.
“It is very cleverly executed the way they have done it. I was an English and drama teacher and I love what they are doing in rendering the messages,” Mrs. Miller said.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has five touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
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.
