SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Brings a ‘Unique Pure Energy’: Media Awards Winner

Apr 22, 2023
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Shen Yun Brings a ‘Unique Pure Energy’: Media Awards Winner
Steve Hutton enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 21, 2023. (NTD)
AUCKLAND, New Zealand—Steve Hutton felt uplifted by a “unique pure energy” when he saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre for the first time.
“I felt the energy coming from the stage—it was a unique pure energy,” he said on April 21. “It is the only way I can describe it—it was a unique pure energy that just really lifted the whole theatre. You just saw standing ovations in there.
“I feel very privileged to have seen the show.”
Mr. Hutton, a business professional with a focus in news media, has won awards at the International Newspaper and Marketing Association (INMA) World Congress of News Media awards, for New Zealand’s most-read website Stuff.
Shen Yun, founded in 2006, seeks to reclaim and renew the divinely inspired cultural heritage of humanity by showcasing China’s myths and legends, traditions and values on the world stage.

“There were so many moments throughout the show where it was breathtakingly beautiful,” Mr. Hutton said of Shen Yun.

“It was so well balanced, between the music, the dance, and the technology as well. I have not seen anything like it anywhere in the world. I feel inspired coming out [of the performance]. The colours, the beauty, the culture—just wonderful!”
According to Shen Yun, those who join the company share a commitment to renewing the classical arts. But what most distinguishes Shen Yun artists is that they take to heart an ancient Chinese concept that true art comes first from a beautiful inner self. In embodying virtue, Shen Yun artists believe they can move the audience on a deeper level.

“There was a pureness to their performance,” Mr. Hutton said. “And I think I interpreted that pureness as I was feeling inspired and uplifted.

This year, the New York-based company declares it is depicting “China before communism.”
“How beautiful China is. How beautiful the culture is,” he said of his impression of Chinese culture after seeing Shen Yun, adding that there’s a “vibrancy” in the culture.
“What an absolute shame that such a wonderful creative group of people cannot do this performances in their homeland,” he added. “It is just such a huge huge waste, and it is just really sad actually.”
Shen Yun’s artists hail from all over the world. But they cannot perform in China today, and there is no other performance like Shen Yun in China today.

This is because of the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic attempts to extinguish true Chinese culture. It is also because Shen Yun seeks to portray on stage the modern-day human rights abuses by the CCP against the Chinese people.

“It is just a shame that the orchestra and the performers cannot take this show to China—it is just so sad,” Mr. Hutton said.

He said Shen Yun artists’ efforts to revive Chinese culture are “commendable.”
“When you understand the past to understand the present and where we should be going in the future, I think it is commendable to bringing back the Chinese culture and bringing it alive, so it is more than just what we see coming out of China, it is actually their history.”

‘Many Life Lessons For Human Beings’: New Zealand Medal of Merit Recipient

New Zealand Medal of Merit recipient Valeti Finau (L) and Ana Palu watched Shen Yun’s second performance at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, in New Zealand on the evening of April 21, 2023 (Ren Xue/The Epoch Times)
New Zealand Medal of Merit recipient Valeti Finau (L) and Ana Palu watched Shen Yun’s second performance at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, in New Zealand on the evening of April 21, 2023 (Ren Xue/The Epoch Times)
Mrs. Valeti Finau, who attended Shen Yun with her husband, her brother and his wife, said the performance conveyed “many life lessons for human beings.”

“We are so happy we made it. So happy we made it,” she said of the family’s planned weekend outing to see Shen Yun.

Mrs. Finau is the founder and director of Laulotaha, a mentoring programme that helps Pacific Island students. She has also had a significant involvement in tertiary education in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific.

She received the New Year Honour in 2018 Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and the Pacific community.

“[Shen Yun] is a mix of of joy and reiterating many life lessons for human beings,” said Mrs. Finau.

“Especially, it was awesome to see how we came to existence as humans ... we enjoyed that,” she said, commenting on Shen Yun’s opening dance, which depicts the story of how humankind came to be on earth

She added. “It was a wonderful experience to see the rich history, culture—more than 5,000 years, up to today. With all today’s happenings ... we could be thinking of bringing back good old days.”

“It’s a different culture, different tradition, but still dignified. Amazing.”

Mrs. Finau reflected on how Shen Yun reiterated traditional values.

“Its richness and its peace and joy ... it’s our own doings that brings all these disasters and all the changes to family life in our culture and tradition brought by technology. But the message is, you do good, you will end up good. And we have to pay for our sins.”

“It was good to come [see Shen Yun],” said Mrs. Finau.

She commented on Shen Yun’s final act, which over the years has signaled hope for many audience members.

“The finale [shows] the hope for tomorrow and our world will be saved by the good karma.”

Reporting by NTD, Ren Xue, and Mimi Nguyen Ly.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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