COSTA MESA, Calif.—“I’ve never been so blessed,” said musician Eric Sardinas during intermission at Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 29, expressing his gratitude for the display of China’s ancient, profound culture.
“I’m so fortunate to be able to take the time off the road and be able to have this moment with my beautiful fiancé and watch this incredible production,” said Mr. Sardinas, whose blues-rock music has taken him around the world over the last 30 years.
“This is something that’s very magical to us, and the talent is beyond understanding,” he said.
Shen Yun uses classical Chinese dance and music to tell the stories of China’s history, from the ancient past to today. The Shen Yun website explains: “Sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra joining instruments from both the East and West, beautiful costumes, and a stunning back drop—this is Shen Yun at first glance. But digging deeper, one discovers a sea of traditional Chinese culture.”
“I’ve always heard about how incredible this production was and now I have the opportunity to see it,” said Mr. Sardinas.
Some of the messages concerning spiritual truths particularly resonated with Mr. Sardinas.
“I think what I’m seeing right here is something in my world, and in our world, that everything comes full circle and I believe this is very, very positive,” he said.
He also saw a connection to this principle concerning the resurrection of China’s culture by Shen Yun itself.
“That being said, I think that sometimes, the deepest of cultures, sometimes needs to come full circle and be re-exposed,” he said, “and I think this is one of the most beautiful exposures of Chinese culture that I believe has been given.”
Mr. Sardinas’s fiancé, Celine Cavin, who is an artist, was also enthusiastic about the performance.
“It’s a beautiful performance, and we’re so honored to be here,” she said.
To her, experiencing the arts from other cultures is a part of her own artistic approach.
“It’s so enjoyable to see the arts from other countries in other cultures and we’re both artists, so we really both appreciate the arts from other cultures, and we try to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and understand, because art ultimately is culture,” she said. “Art is beauty.”
To Ms. Cavin, Shen Yun was a profound cultural experience that transcended language.
“It reflects more than words can say,” she said. “You get between the music and the artistry, the dancers, and the visual aspect, you get such a beautiful full picture of the message that is given to you. That’s what we meant by profound. You get a full picture even without words. You don’t need words. You don’t need to speak the same language.”
In the end, it’s not the dance and music itself, but the stories that they convey, that really touched the couple, Mr. Sardinas explained.
“Both of us were saying that the stories and the power and the energy of all the hardships, triumphs, and the incredible things, that all have gone through,” he said, “it’s beyond words.”
With reporting by Michael Ye and Ben Bendig
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
