TORONTO—Shen Yun left one of Toronto’s most distinguished citizens with memories he said he will carry with him forever, after the Saturday evening performance at Canon Theatre.
“It’s wonderful, beautiful, unforgettable. It’s a wonderful expression of Chinese culture that brings mountains to you, blue water, lovely girls with silk, and dancing in the clouds,” said Lincoln Alexander, Ontario’s former Lieutenant Governor and Canada’s first black Member of Parliament.
Mr. Alexander praised the agility of the dancers and particularly complimented Shen Yun on its trademark animated backdrops for the effect they brought to the show.
“I really liked all the backdrops, how they brought different scenes in, people coming out of the mountains onto the stage, which is very tricky, but it’s unforgettable, beautiful, and I'll never forget it.”
“I liked the women dancing with the shawls, they always seemed to be dancing on clouds, like the white clouds are there and they are in the middle of it—very, very, very, very believable.”
Mr. Alexander made his mark on the Canadian political scene when he was first elected to Parliament in 1968. He held his seat until he resigned in 1980 to serve as chairman of the Worker’s Compensation Board. From 1985 to 1991 he was Lieutenant Governor, the first black person to serve as a vice-regal, representing the Queen, in Canada.
He has been appointed to the Order of Ontario as well as the Order of Canada. He served as Chancellor of the University of Guelph from 1991 to 2007 and was named Chair of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation in 2000.
After watching the show, Mr. Alexander reflected on the broad impact the Chinese civilization has had on the world.
“When you think of 5,000 years and the Chinese culture is still affecting us, even as of today.
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