FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Morris Epstein and Beverley Pearson immersed themselves in the beauty of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ vibrant presentation, staged at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 2.
“I like it, I like it! I like the movements of the dancers and the mechanics of it. It’s very nice.
“It’s lively, it’s alive, it moves! And I’m happy to be here with this lovely lady,” said Mr. Epstein, who was the executive president of his own advertising company.
His companion, interior designer Ms. Pearson, shared her view. “I think it’s just beautiful. I can’t get over it. I love how they’re all so synchronized, and the clothes are beautiful. The costumes! It’s just beautiful, and I’m enjoying it very much,” she said.
“Sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra joining instruments from both the East and West, beautiful costumes, and a stunning backdrop—this is Shen Yun at first glance,” says the company website.
“Digging deeper, one discovers a sea of traditional Chinese culture. Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience,” the website states.
“I think the music is fabulous—it makes the whole thing,” Mr. Epstein said. “I really think it’s terrific,” He also noted the harmony between heaven and earth that is based in China’s divinely inspired cultural heritage and displayed on stage. “I could see all of those elements,” he said.
Mr. Epstein was especially fascinated by the integration of stage, screen, and performers, all perfectly choreographed to match the music as each dance scene moved seamlessly from one to another.
“With the [backdrop] screen behind it and the way the people in the front actually looked like they were going right into the pictures, it was beautifully done,” Mr. Epstein said.
Ms. Pearson said, “I think it’s wonderful! I think every culture has a spiritual side. It’s done beautifully.”
In 2006, leading Chinese artists from around the world came together in New York with a mission to revive authentic Chinese culture said to have been brought down from the heavens, according to the program book. But under the last 60 years of atheist communist rule, this divinely inspired culture has been almost completely destroyed.
The regime’s suppression of the traditional culture and persecution of those who uphold it continues today. This theme is conveyed in the dance The Steadfast Lotus, which tells the story of a mother and daughter who practice Falun Gong, a peaceful meditation system that the communist regime banned in 1999.
“I didn’t like the way her mother was treated,” Ms. Pearson said, referring to the mother being arrested and beaten to death for her belief in the practice—a tragedy that is all too common in China today. How people react to oppression, their feelings, that’s universal, she said.
Ms. Pearson said the Shen Yun performance was very beautiful, and she was very happy to be at the performance.
Mr. Epstein agreed, saying they had been waiting for Shen Yun to come to Fort Lauderdale.
They both said they would recommend Shen Yun to their friends and family Ms. Pearson said she tell them “how terrific it is, how beautiful!” “And the music is really fabulous,” she added.
Reporting by Edie Bassen and Raiatea Tahana-Reese
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.
