BERLIN—Mrs. Kochanenko, journalist for a Russian radio station in Berlin, attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts show with a colleague and her children. The radio station, serving the four million Russian community in Germany, had encouraged its audience to come watch the show, and Mrs. Kochanenko was happy to be here with her family.
“It was wonderful. The show had a tremendous effect on us, especially the children who came with us. I am glad that they experienced the show. To experience a foreign culture is always interesting, since we ourselves do not have the opportunity to travel to China. I believe that this experience can influence our daily lives. It is very interesting and has a positive effect.
“This 5,000-year-old [Chinese] culture is very interesting and has deep roots. The dances from different regions are, of course, interesting for us, because we have never seen them, and we now know more about them,” said Mrs. Kochanenko.
Growing up in Russia, Mrs. Kochanenko could relate to the emotions portrayed in the contemporary dances in the show which depict social persecution. “I especially enjoyed the contemporary pieces. While they may seem simple at first, they are very expressive. They were also very well staged. One knows what is being conveyed, even without knowing the previous history.
“The musicians were very good. We come from Russia and also have very good artists there. We therefore ... recognize that the vocalists in the show are on a very high level.
“We are really glad that we were able to attend tonight. I believe that we all need to learn about other cultures and attend such events. And despite the terrible weather here, we are in a very good mood,” said Mrs. Kochanenko who braved the frigid night to attend this show with her loved ones.
Chani Blue contributed to this report.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
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