NEWARK—China was once known as the land of the divine. The ancient Chinese believed that there was a time where mortals and deities co-existed and that the divine transmitted different aspects of their culture to them.
These beliefs are now preserved in Shen Yun Performing Arts productions and showcased to countless audience members each year, just like those who saw the traditional dance and music performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on May 3.
New York-based Shen Yun showcases China’s 5,000 years of semi-divine culture with a mission to bring back traditional culture to the modern world.
“I think the dancing is amazing and the story they told. I enjoyed it very much,” Remolnia said.
“I love the stories, I think the stories are great. Terrific. And it’s choreographed very beautifully. And the music and the dancing, they go together very nicely. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it to anybody,” he added.
Remolnia said Shen Yun is a performance that can bring people together through the culture and their faith in the divine.“I think you tell a nice story. And I think that connects with people, in my opinion,” he said. “Their connection between the culture—the Chinese culture—and their beliefs. And while we are around because we are all different, but we all have a connection—and that’s God.”
The physician said he felt connected to the spiritual elements in the performance as well.“I thought it was very, very deep,” he said.
“I think it’s interesting ... the knowledge the ancient Chinese [had] and it’s something I heard so much about and I find it to be very interesting,” Matera said.
Matera said his granddaughter, Nicole Sudano, took him to see Shen Yun as a birthday gift.“I understand more of what I’m reading [like] this is what the monks do. They respect their religion and the way of another life after this life,” he said.
His granddaughter Sudano said she appreciates Shen Yun’s efforts to bring back traditions to the modern world.“I like how they are trying to bring back all the traditions. ... The modern civilizations are taking away all the traditions from the past, so I like that that they’re trying to bring it back to show that we can still go back to how it was—not everything has to be new and the way it is now,” Sudano said.
With reporting by Weiyong.
