FRANKFURT, Germany—A family of four drove from Ludwigshafen to Frankfurt am Main, a distance of 45 miles, to see the Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company’s performance in the Jahrhunderthalle on the evening of March 31.
Mr. Karl-Heinz Kehl, architect and retired owner of an interior architect’s firm, his wife, Edda Kehl, their son Jochen, who now run’s his father’s business, and his wife, a chemical engineer, attended Shen Yun. The younger couple had invited the parents to see the performance with them.
“Shen Yun presents colorful and exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance and music. A performance by Shen Yun is a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled from the five millennia of Chinese civilization,” states the Shen Yun website.
“We truly enjoyed the show,” said Mr. Kehl senior. The first scene An Era Begins, where the soldiers play the drums, was very enjoyable. They were so synchronized—very impressive.”
“We had not been exposed to Chinese culture very much, although we have visited China. Unfortunately, unless one studies the subject intensively, one has little knowledge about Chinese culture,” he said.
Mrs. Edda Kehl agreed with her husband and said “the show was excellent.”
“Everything is in such harmony, so uniform and so exact. I haven’t seen such uniformity in Europe. This is unique and rarely seen. Such a harmony throughout the entire show—absolutely beautiful,” she said.
The Kehl’s daughter-in-law, who is of Chinese origin, said, “My grandparents were born in China 150 years ago. This show brings me closer to the traditional Chinese culture, and I really like what I saw.”
Ms. Kehl particularly enjoyed How the Monkey King Came To Be, which is a story taken from China’s legends. The Monkey King is the main character in the classic novel Journey to the West, “born out of a rock, he has magical powers that allow him to travel freely between Heaven and Earth,” describes the program book.
“I remembered the story about the Monkey King, which my father told me about when I was little. He often told me Chinese legends when I was a youngster, because my mother taught Chinese language at the time,” Ms. Kehl said.
“I was truly delighted to see the Monkey King story, because it let me discover my roots.”
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will next perform in Stockholm, Sweden from April 4-6.
For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
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