SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun, ‘It just brings you back to a time of cultural richness’

Feb 09, 2014
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Shen Yun, ‘It just brings you back to a time of cultural richness’
Brad Laporte and his wife Megan Ma were glad to see Shen Yun Performing Arts this year at the Detroit Opera House. (Teresa You/Epoch Times)

DETROIT—Seeing Shen Yun perform at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday evening was a high point for pharmacy owner Megan Ma.

The performance, which showcases traditional Chinese culture, deeply touched Ms. Ma’s heart as it is her heritage, her Mandarin roots.

“It reinforced it for me how beautiful and rich [traditional Chinese culture] is,” she said. “I felt a lot of pride.”

“I actually cried a little bit during the lotus performance because it’s your roots, and you don’t usually get a reminder of that when you’re living here all the time. It just brings you back to a time of cultural richness which you don’t experience every day.”

“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,” states the company’s website.

“It is beautiful and elegant,” said Ms. Ma.

Her husband, Brad Laporte, agreed. “It’s beautiful,” he said. Both Mr. Laporte and Ms. Ma are pharmacists who own their own pharmacy.

Shen Yun is comprised of four companies that tour globally, playing in about 100 cities on four continents. Each season the company presents an entirely new performance comprised of classical Chinese dance, folk and ethnic dance, original orchestral music, and opera-style vocalists.

Last year, the couple bought tickets to Shen Yun for Ms. Ma’s parents. “When they came back they told us we absolutely had to do whatever we could to get here,” said Mr. Laporte.

“We are very glad to be here. It’s not to be missed.”

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture through dance-based storytelling of beloved myths, legends, and ancient and current history. The heart of Chinese culture was almost completely destroyed under the past 60 years of communist rule—particularly during the Cultural Revolution.

Being based in America, Shen Yun has the freedom to revive the culture and its values and bring them to audiences around the world.

“It’s really great that Chinese people are doing this because we don’t usually get out there into the media and into the spotlight. It’s something to be proud of and something I want to bring our kids to,” said Ms. Ma.

Reporting by Teresa You and Cat Rooney

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org

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.

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