COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Paul Lagatta, a network technician, attended Shen Yun’s evening performance at Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts on March 17.
It was Mr. Lagatta’s first time watching the show, and he has “never seen anything like this before.”
“There’s a divine message in there that there’s something greater than just what we are doing here on this earth.”The world’s leading classical Chinese dance and music company, Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.
Mr. Lagatta was touched by the artists’ dedication and thought they are very brave to speak up for what they believed in.
“What’s happening in China today is an unfortunate situation. It’s heartbreaking to see, but I’m glad they have the courage to [speak up] because I’m sure they have families that—as a result of what they’re doing—may be dealing with some persecution. It’s moving.”
His biggest takeaway from Shen Yun is that, as human beings, we need to be kind to each other.
“[The performance] showed us that there’s good in all mankind. We need to be compassionate and love one another. I think if more of that can be passed on—maybe we can change.”
“They’re just fabulous, simply fabulous!” he exclaimed. “I’m just amazed at their athletic performance and their craft—even the musicians—you can tell that they’ve spent a long-time practicing.”“Usually, something that is made to look effortless takes a lot of training.”
Also in the audience was biomedical engineer Dan King. He, too, was inspired by the beauty and message of Shen Yun. The performance far exceeded his expectations.
“The storytelling was beautiful in a way that it took us back to [China’s] ancient traditions but also [showed] us the contemporary challenges that this culture is facing.”
“I loved that, and I think they’re doing a great job telling the story. They are bringing beauty and even comedy into the show but also introducing more recent [challenges],” Mr. King expressed.
“I think that’s powerful. It’s a great way of letting people emotionally feel and not just educate them on the conflicts that are going on in China.”
“Sitting where I was sitting, you can hear how fast the dancers are moving with the snaps of the costumes. You can tell not just how graceful they are but also how powerful they are,” he said. “The women are incredibly graceful, and the men are incredibly acrobatic.”“I’ll be telling others about this experience. It’s been very, very good.”
