LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Lausanne, Switzerland, Oxford, UK, and Frankfurt, Germany are the first European cities to welcome Shen Yun Performing Arts in early 2023.
Like Geneva, Vevey, or Evian-les-Bains, Lausanne is one of those small cities nestled between the foothills of the Alps and the majestic crescent of Lake Geneva.
While Lausanne’s medieval streets and romantic beaches are bathed in a delightful atmosphere, the city is also an outstanding sports symbol: indeed, it has hosted the International Olympic Committee since 1915 and has been classified as the Olympic capital since 1993.
Classical Chinese dance, the mainstay of the show, is one of the most complete dance systems in the world, combining both athletic prowess of jumps and twists with a unique expressiveness of the dancers.
‘I Want to Advise All My Friends to Go and See It”
Dimitris Lagopoulos, a Canton of Vaud resident, shared his impressions. This portfolio manager was part of the audience for the premiere of Shen Yun, in Lausanne, and was still bedazzled after the show.“The show is really extraordinary! It’s really beautiful ... really, it’s magnificent,” said Mr. Lagopoulos, visibly moved.
“I had tears in my eyes at certain moments during the show. I found it very, very beautiful; it is really extraordinary. I want to advise all my friends to go and see it,” said Mr. Lagopoulos.
“The performance is at a very high level,” said the manager, adding that “the technique is extraordinary, and it is completely unusual. It’s not the kind of show we often have here in Europe.”
Mr. Lagopoulos believes “there is a tremendous amount of work behind everything we see,” feeling an “extraordinary” energy.
“You feel an extraordinary technical level and, at the same time, the dancers are calm, they do difficult things, but in a calm, with an extraordinary control,” he said.
‘What Is Beyond This Material World’
He also mentioned the spiritual aspect, “the philosophical side and the connection with the divine, with what is beyond this material world.”According to the Vaud townships resident, originally from Greece, “there is a lot of spirituality” in Shen Yun, “there are a lot of beliefs, philosophy, and I liked that too.”
Shen Yun brings to life the 5,000 years of culture and history of ancient China and also revives the considerable spiritual heritage that has been part of all the Chinese people for these thousands of years.
Throughout its program, Shen Yun draws attention to the values of courage, loyalty, and compassion that accompanied the Chinese people.
Mr. Lagopoulos could appreciate this spirituality, explaining his feeling: “I feel like we are losing the connection a little bit ... The world is losing it and shows like these help us connect to this spiritual side that is a little bit divine ... Yes, absolutely!”
“A tremendous feeling of joy, of peace. .. And precisely ... once or twice, I had tears in my eyes,” he said.
