NEW YORK—Mr. Paul Rappaport loves Shen Yun Performing Arts so much he’s seen it four times.
“It takes you away from the real world, which is all in chaos, and you see how beautiful life can really be. I’m happy, so happy,” the pharmacist from Queens said, at Lincoln Center on Jan. 17.
Shen Yun, based in New York, transports audiences to imperial courts, the Mongolian steppes, and heavenly realms, as the company brings tales of ancient legends and literary classics to life.
“I love it,” Mr. Rappaport said. “I love it, it’s amazing.”
Some of dances portray scenes from modern times, and one of these made Mr. Rappaport a bit emotional.
In “The Steadfast Heart” people are practicing a spiritual meditation discipline, whose practitioners currently are persecuted in China. In this scene, an older couple who practice the discipline are joined by a group of fellow practitioners when policemen arrive and begin beating them.
The elderly husband is arrested and tortured. He “survives the ordeal a broken man, with his wife left to pick up the pieces,” the program notes, until “in the midst of their despair, a heavenly scene unfolds.”
Mr. Rappaport felt that that piece, especially with its hopeful conclusion, brought him feelings of happiness.
“More people should come see this. It'll change their attitude toward life,” he believes, because everything in the program is perfect and the music and dance transport people to a different atmosphere.
“I think [it is] very important in this day and age,” he said.
Reporting by Frank Liang and Sharon Kilarski
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.
