To mark opening night, March 10, a grand total of 36 state senate and assembly members sent letters, proclamations, and awards in praise of Shen Yun. Among the members were Rep. Samuel Gonzalez Jr. for Suffolk County, and Phil Ramos, deputy majority leader of the New York State House of Representatives. Both were among the audience at Lincoln Center for their first experience of Shen Yun.
Rep. Gonzalez represents the ninth legislative district in Suffolk County.“I am simply amazed—the stories, the storyline, the message ... simply wonderful, simply beautiful,” he said after seeing the performance.
“It’s a message that regardless of what’s out there, hold on to your love, your faith, and everything will always resolve at the end,” he said.
As a Suffolk County legislator and a singer for 40 years himself, Gonzalez is no stranger to the arts.
“As an artist, I’ve traveled the world, and I’ve seen a lot of performances. Tonight’s performance was simply unbelievable. If you have not seen the show, you have to come and see the show. And have you seen it already? Come and see it again. And remember, every year it’s different. So come on down.”
“For years now we’ve been under so much quarantine, so much negativity, so much death, so much bad news,” he said. “People need to come on down. The laughing and the clapping, the lights, the colors, the music, the orchestra was simply marvelous. We need that. We needed this moment to try and eliminate all the negativity, eliminate what we’ve done the last couple of years with COVID. I think if this show was on every day, I think I'd be here every other day.”
Assistant Speaker of the House of the New York State Assembly Phil Ramos said the talent of Shen Yun was unbelievable.
“The use of art to put out a message of unity, to educate, to bridge the gap between many people, ... it’s something that brings people together,” he said. “And it was beautiful to see that happen here today in this show.”
He said it was a “breath of fresh air” to have audiences gathered again to share this cultural exchange.
“I’ve seen how governments get in the way of culture many times, and the unique thing about this performance is, it’s art but it represents real people. This is not about governments. It’s about real people; it shows how people live, it shows their culture, it shows their roots, it shows their thoughts, their happiness, the battles they’ve had, and this is something that shouldn’t be hidden because this is what makes us who we are.”
Through the arts, Shen Yun tells stories not only of China’s ancient past but of its present reality as well—including those of religious persecution. Its performers are cultivators of Falun Dafa, a spiritual faith and practice banned by the Chinese Communist Party.“I’ve had the experience in my office and dealt with a lot of practitioners of Falun Dafa and various religions that have been oppressed throughout the world, and it’s hard, many times for them to get their message out. But a performance such as this, you have all cultures sitting together through two hours of performances and everyone walks out of here learning something that they wouldn’t have otherwise learned, and that’s why it’s so beautiful that they use the arts to share that message.”
Reporting by Xinxin Teng.“I applaud him. I applaud him and salute him for these efforts. Art brings us together. Art has a unifying effect and the innovative idea of using that art to ... express to the world, to teach history, to impart spirituality, to me, I congratulate him for being so innovative, and I looked in here and there were many people not from China who were watching this performance. And it’s just as important that people outside of China learn about this history, learn about the present-day issues, and share and enjoy art from other cultures.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
