NEWARK, N.J.—“You get a different idea of the Chinese culture, seeing this, than one normally gets through his lifetime,” said Robert Vudelman after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on April 30.
“It’s really, really lovely to see,” added Mr. Vudelman, a lawyer. “There’s a lot of beauty to it, so it’s something I would really say that people should see.”
Consuelo Vudelman, Mr. Vudelman’s wife, agreed.
“I am mesmerized by the different colors they use in all the dresses ... it is really beautiful, and something worthwhile seeing,” Mrs. Vudelman said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New York-based classical Chinese dance company with a mission—to revive China’s five millennia-long, divinely-inspired civilization that was nearly wiped out under communist rule.
Shen Yun “gives you a different perspective on the Chinese culture because everything has been so negative over these many many years and you don’t see the beauty of the Chinese culture as is portrayed here,” Mr. Vudelman said.
Dancing energetically to the unique sound created by a full orchestra comprising both Eastern and Western instruments, Shen Yun dancers showcase the richness of China by reliving story after story from ancient times to the present, and transport the audience from the majestic courts to the open plains of Tibet or the vibrant Chinese countryside.
“So you get a different depth of understanding of the Chinese people and what their culture really has, and the beauty of the culture,” Mr. Vudelman added. “It’s the story of what’s behind the dance that really enthralls you too.”
Church worker Sarah Acevedo was drawn to the spiritual aspect of the Chinese civilization as depicted in the Shen Yun performance.
“The noble arts are transmitting a noble message, which is our relationship with the Creator, regardless of your religion,” said Ms. Acevedo. “This is the thing that is going to bring us to values, to morals, to everything that is lost in our society today.”
Shen Yun’s vignettes of China also portray the steadfast faith of spiritual disciples during the attack on religion during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution, and the severe suppression of the traditional self-cultivation practice Falun Dafa in modern day China. These were particularly meaningful for Ms. Acevedo, who comes from a communist country and has suffered oppression.
“To me, this is priceless,” she said. Because of the faith her mother instilled in her from a young age, in the midst of oppression, she had hope and felt saved. She wished more people could experience that as well, through Shen Yun.
“Please come and see this show, because it is magnificent,” she said.
Reporting by NTD Television and Larry Ong
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.
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.
