OTTAWA—Philip J. Gibson, President of Beaumont Communications said Shen Yun Performing Arts put on a spectacular show at the National Arts Centre Thursday night.
“I love it, I love it. I like to be exposed to different things and this is not an experience I’ve had before.”
“The costumes are magnificent, the dance moves are spectacular,” he said.
New York-based Shen Yun takes reviving China’s 5,000 year cultural heritage as its guiding mission. With its program steeped in traditional Chinese values like benevolence, honour, propriety, reverence for the divine, Shen Yun aims to restore a culture nearly destroyed by 60 years of communist rule, particularly during the chaos of the Cultural Revolution.
Mr. Gibson took note of that element of the performance.
“There’s an honesty and a truthfulness underlying this program. I find traditional Chinese culture seems to me, a Westerner, to be innocent in a way.”
“There’s a purity about the way it’s presented that I find remarkable.”
“I feel joyful,” he finished.
Mr. Gibson worked as a journalist and editor for ten years and also advised and consulted safety and security agencies in 20 countries on governance issues and public accountability. He currently keeps a blog on public safety and security as president of Beaumont Communications, which delivers a range of public relations and communications solutions.
Reporting by Susan Chen and Matthew Little.
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at the National Arts Centre on Dec. 19–23. For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
