Shen Yun Performing Arts opens its first show at Lincoln Center this year on Jan. 14, marking the tenth year of the company bringing classical Chinese dance in New York. Fifty-six members of the Empire State’s senate and assembly sent greeting letters, citations, certificates, or proclamations showing their support for Shen Yun and its performers.
“Shen Yun performances uplift the heart, inform and inspire through world-class artistry and classical Chinese dance,” says one proclamation, from state senator Jack M. Martins.
The proclamation, dated Dec. 18 of last year, called Shen Yun an “international phenomenon” and the “world’s only company to feature classical Chinese dance in its purest form.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts is based on a campus in the countryside north of New York City and was founded in 2006.
According to the Shen Yun official website, the company’s mission is to preserve and present the essence of China’s ancient culture through classical Chinese dance, both of which have a history spanning thousands of years.
“Shen Yun Performing Arts celebrates the true spirit of traditional Chinese culture, which is rooted in a belief in the divine, faith, virtue, and transcendence to heavenly realms,” the proclamation reads.
“These ideals have inspired Shen Yun to preserve the very heart and soul of ancient China’s 5,000-year history and to share it with the modern world.”
But Shen Yun’s authentic depiction of traditional Chinese spiritual traditions, from those of Buddhist and Daoist cultivators in antiquity to the present-day meditative practice of Falun Gong, means that it cannot be performed in mainland China. Since its inception, the Chinese regime has sought to eradicate China’s traditional culture and has persecuted Falun Gong practitioners since 1999.
Shen Yun’s dancers are ethnic Chinese, with some of the senior artists having emigrated from China or Taiwan.
“The artistic freedom of the West enables the performers and artists of Shen Yun to bring genuine ancient Chinese traditions and moral values to life on stage, which would otherwise be censored in China,” Sen. Martins’ proclamation says.
The importance of Shen Yun was acknowledged by Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle of the 1st Senate District, whose greeting letter mentioned its salient role in restoring ancient China’s heritage.
“Shen Yun is not only entertainment, but also contributes to our society by bringing a long-lost culture back to life,” the senator said.
“Watching Shen Yun,” Sen. LaValle said, “has reminded Chinese people, as well as others, how the Chinese culture is a world treasure that we should all enjoy.”
Sen. George Latimer New York’s 37th Senate District, proclaimed in his official capacity the days of Jan. 14 to Jan. 17, 2016 and March 2-13, 2016, to be Shen Yun Performing days in the state of New York. Shen Yun returns to Lincoln Center for 12 performances in March.
“Shen Yun Performing Arts Company is the largest Chinese music and dance ensemble in the world,” the proclamation read. It “is independent of the Chinese government or any state entity.”
Greeting Letters
Richard N. Gottfried, NY State Assembly
Andrew Hevesi, NY State Assembly
Latoya Joyner, NY State Assembly
Michael P. Kearns, NY State Assembly
Peter Lawrence, NY State Assembly
Kathleen A. Marchione, NY State Senator
Robert G. Ortt, NY State Senator
Felix W. Ortiz, Assistant Speaker, NY State Assembly
N. Nick Perry, NY State Assembly
Annette M. Robinson, NY State Assembly
Jo Anne Simon, NY State Assembly
Matthew J. Titone, NY State Assembly
Proclamations
Jeffrion L. Aubry, NY State Assembly
Tony Avella, NY State Senator
Bill Perkins, NY State Senator
Michael Blake, NY State Assembly
John J. Bonacic, NY State Senator
Phil Boyle, NY State Senator
Neil D. Breslin, NY State Senator
Leroy Comrie, NY State Senator
Clifford W. Crouch, NY State Assembly
Michael J. Cusick, NY State Assembly
Gary D. Finch, NY State Assembly
John J. Flanagan, temporary President and Majority Leader, NY State Senate
Phillip Goldfeder, NY State Assembly
Aileen M. Gunther, NY State Assembly
Jesse Hamilton, NY State Senator
Ruth Hassell-Thompson, NY State Senator
George Latimer, NY State Senator
Kenneth P. LaValle, NY State Senator
Jack M. Martins, NY State Senator
Walter T. Mosley, NY State Assembly
Robert J. Rodriguez, NY State Assembly
Angelo Santabarbara, NY State Assembly
Diane J. Savino, NY State Senator
Certificates
Thomas D. Croci, NY State Senator
Al Graf, NY State Assembly
Citations
Marc W. Butler, NY State Assembly
John D. Ceretto, NY State Assembly
Steve Englebright, NY State Assembly
Patricia A. Fahy, NY State Assembly
Michael J. Fitzpatrick, NY State Assembly
Andrew R Garbarino, NY State Assembly
Mark Johns, NY State Assembly
Charles D Lavine, NY State Assembly
Joseph R. Lentol, NY State Assembly
Chad A. Lupinacci, NY State Assembly
John T. McDonald, III, NY State Assembly
David G McDonough, NY State Assembly
Nicole Malliotakis, NY State Assembly
Kevin S. Parker, NY State Senator
Phil Ramos, NY State Assembly
Michelle Schimel, NY State Assembly
James Tedisco, NY State Assembly
Fred W. Thiele, Jr., NY State Assembly
Latrice Walker, NY State Assembly
Shen Yun will be showing in New York between Jan. 14 and Jan. 17 and March 2 and March 13 at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four 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 reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
