DAEGU, South Korea—You Soon-hee, president of Busan’s Woman Newspaper, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee performance, on Feb. 16, in Daegu, Korea.
She said that the artistry in Shen Yun’s performance is something that can only be achieved through inner cultivation, and that reflects Eastern culture in its purest form.
Ms. You, who watched Shen Yun for the second time this year, praised Shen Yun’s costumes for their colorfulness and regality. She added, “In the ancient past, when neighboring countries like Korea or Japan had not yet established their culture, China had already created a civilization with rich artistry. So China is the source of artistry in its purest form.”
Ms. You believes that this purest form of art was demonstrated by Shen Yun through a combination of movements, content, artistry, and dance artists’ skill, and that it is something that can only be achieved through inner cultivation.
Ms. You said that she was mesmerized by the performance, especially the animated backdrop and the deep messages that the performance sent. She remarked that the performance embodied Falun Dafa’s principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance, adding that she could not understand why the Chinese regime would try to suppress artistry and inner cultivation.
Ms. You added that Shen Yun purified her heart, notably through the performance The Steadfast Lotus, where a peaceful mother and daughter are persecuted by the communist regime. Divine beings then bring the mother to a better place. “When I saw that, I was very excited,” Ms. You said. “It was very beautiful and compassionate, a very satisfying spiritual cleansing.”
Shen Yun Is the Value of the Inner World
The director of North-East Asia Cultural Properties Research Institute and Hungsan Cultural Institute, Sangtae Jeong, who attended the matinee performance, said that Shen Yun helped him realize the value of the inner world.
“I was very moved by the performance and how it presented through dance the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization,” he said. “Especially the backdrop and the way the real performance interacted with the animation—that was very touching.”
“It is not an easy feat to touch the soul,” he added. “Every artist hopes to move the audience with his performance. This performance uses classical Chinese dance to bring the stage to life, and sends many messages that are all very touching.”
Mr. Sangtae said that he especially enjoyed the performance The Monkey King Thwarts the Evil Toad, since he is very fond of classic Chinese novels. He remarked that the realistic nature of the performance had a lasting impression on him.
“Classical Chinese dance is full of life. It requires that the dancers attain a high level of cultivation in order to master their skills. While it is vigorous and strong, it is also able to portray the artists’ emotions and their inner world. I was very awed,” said Mr. Sangtae.
Mr. Sangtae said that he will definitely watch Shen Yun again next year, and he expressed his wish to see similar types of performances in the future.
Reporting by Dai Deman and Virginia Wu, Yeungzag Gonh and Virginia Wu
Read the Chinese articles at: [1] [2]
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.
The 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.
