OTTAWA—Business owner Gino Milito and journalism professor Karim H. Karim both raved about Shen Yun Performing Arts at the National Arts Centre on a rainy Wednesday in the nation’s capital.
“It’s terrific. It’s very entertaining. The colourful costumes, the background video, it’s enlightening. The performance itself is absolutely amazing,” said Mr. Milito.
He was in attendance with his whole family after purchasing 10 tickets to the show. He is the owner of Orchard View Wedding and Conference Centre and also the president of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA).
New York-based Shen Yun counts many winners of international dance and vocal competitions among its artists, and the orchestras include many musicians from world-renowned symphonies and conservatories.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture, which has been demolished after more than 60 years of communist rule in China, especially after the Cultural Revolution.
Shen Yun’s two emcees made a point of noting that the type of performance that Shen Yun puts on could not be seen in China today because of the ruling communist regime.
“You look at the Orient, you don’t really know what you’re supposed to know but when you see a performance like that, you realize how entertaining it is, and the performance itself is absolutely outstanding,” said Mr. Milito.
According to Shen Yun’s website, a performance by Shen Yun is a presentation of traditional Chinese culture as it once was: a study in grace, wisdom, and the virtues distilled from the five millennia of Chinese civilization.
“I think the world at large should know a lot more about what’s going on out there,” said Mr. Milito.
‘Message of hope’
Karim H. Karim, Professor at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, also in attendance Wednesday, related to some of the themes in the Shen Yun performance.
About the baritone soloist’s performance, Mr. Karim said: “He talked about the promises made at the beginning of the creation. And I heard that before in my own tradition as well.”
In terms of the modern day situation in China, the Shen Yun performance touched on the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) as part of the broad theme of good triumphing over evil.
“I think it’s a message of hope but I could also see the struggle with the Falun Dafa, and what they’re going through. It’s interesting that they try to reach out to bigger audiences like this through music and dance, and through their way of thinking,” said Mr. Karim.
Reporting by NTD Television and Rahul Vaidyanath
Shen Yun has three companies touring the world. The Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company will perform at the National Arts Centre on Dec. 19–23. For more information visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
