MINNEAPOLIS—On Feb 15. at the Orpheum Theatre, after seeing Shen Yun a classical Chinese music and dance company, CPA David Wasmuth said it had “Amazing artistry,” and it was “very graceful.”
He commented that the dancers were “excellent athletes—athletics, very graceful, much in control.”
Mr. Wasmuth is a certified public account and partner at Froehling Anderson, a firm in the greater Minneapolis, St. Paul area.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New York-based company. It’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture through music and classical Chinese dance.
There are 20 or so segments in each performance that feature classical Chinese dance, symphonic music, hand-made costumes, and high-tech, interactive backdrops. Some pieces depict stories from China’s history, myths, and legends from ancient times to the present day.
Mr. Wasmuth commented, “You see many universal themes and you saw the part about the oppression. I felt very bad for those people when you see that they have the same desires and needs that we have.”
The oppression he referred to was the persecution of Falun Gong by China’s communist regime. Shen Yun presents a dance about this persecution.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa is a spiritual meditation practice based on the guiding principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
As to the whole experience, Mr. Wasmuth described how he felt during the performance. “It was exhilarating and very beautiful, and just allowing (one) to be absorbed into the experience,” he said.
“I love the music,” Mr. Wasmuth explained. “I do, and having a real orchestra and how they interact, they had the right pace and everything went together so well. I appreciate the musicianship. The harmony, nobody is waiting for each other.”
“And it all, it goes together beautifully in synchronization,” he added.
Mr. Wasmuth also commented on spiritual aspects of the performance embedded in ancient legends, “I think that if you don’t have a spiritual aspect to your life, you’re really missing something. You can’t have life without spirituality.”
To his friends, Mr. Wasmuth would say “that they should not miss it if it ever comes to their town.”
With reporting by Hannah Cai and Andrew Darin
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
