NASHVILLE, Tenn.— Savannah Sullivan, a formally trained photojournalist who owns her own photography business, Chronicle Studios, said “The backdrop is gorgeous,” when she saw Shen Yun at Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) on Feb. 22.

“It was interesting to see how they were interacting with it. It’s really cool the way they jump out from behind the screen.” 

According to the Shen Yun website, “These digital backdrop designs complement and synchronize all aspects of the performance: the characters, color of the costumes, specific dance movements, props, lighting, the story being told, particular notes played by the orchestra, and special audio effects.”

Not only does she work in an artistic field, Ms. Sullivan does volunteer work with TPAC. She loves dance, she said. As for Shen Yun, “It’s beautiful. I love dancing in general.”

Beyond the beauty, the themes of freedom spoke to her, she said. “I think it’s so great that they are keeping the 5,000 year old tradition alive and using the freedom that they have to talk about the persecution [of Falun Gong, a traditional spiritual practice that has been banned and persecuted in China since 1999]. It’s so important to show that message to the world.”

She is a person of faith and felt empathy about the persecution described in the dance The Steadfast Lotus. According to the program book, “in a plot that mirrors countless present-day stories of Chinese families torn apart, the daughter endures tribulations searching for her mother, until her steadfast faith gives her new hope.”

With a gentle expression, she said, “it definitely resonates…”

Anyone who was about the see Shen Yun for the first time, as she just did, should “Come with an open mind. I did not know what to expect. From the dancing to the orchestra, it’s so beautiful.”

The Shen Yun Orchestra blends traditional Chinese instruments with a full Western symphonic orchestra. It pleased Ms. Sullivan. She said, “I don’t know the names of the traditional instruments but it’s just beautiful.”

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.