ROSEMONT, Ill.—Ronald Lau, senior engineer for Fuel Tech Pollution Control in Wheaton, Illinois, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts North American Company’s matinee performance on Feb. 15.
“It’s a wonderful performance, it’s unlike anything you’ve probably seen before. So, don’t expect anything just come enjoy it and you will definitely enjoy what you see,” Ronald Lau said after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Rosemont Theatre.
What Lau enjoyed the most was the story telling. He explained that his profession allowed him to spend a lot of time in China and because of that he was already familiar with some the classical literature.
“I especially liked the combination of the different histories, the ancient history and the dark side of the history, the communism part and all that joined together to tell that one—all those different stories,” he said.
As Shen Yun’s website explains, the New York based company is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. “Shen Yun was established in New York in 2006 by elite Chinese artists. They came together with a shared vision and passion—to revive the lost world of traditional Chinese culture and share it with everyone,” the company’s website states.
Lau said he is familiar with the oppression of the communist regime in China. He appreciated the story-based dances that depicted this ongoing issue, and said that there is hope that one day this will have changed.
“There’s gonna be a lot more freedom for everybody to live their lives and follow their faith the way they choose,” Lau said.
Lau said China’s 5,000-year-old culture is fascinating for modern people, and that we can take solace from the message of the past from those who came before us.
“Even if we have our own daily struggles we know that everybody had the same struggles as well, and there’s also something about that, all that art and all that culture that survived, it tells you that there’s something about us that’s more than just some animal instinct, there’s something that drives us,” Lau said.
“Absolutely, they should be trying to preserve that as much as possible,” Lau said.
Watching the performance, Lau noticed many subtle, yet profoundly familiar themes.
“Those sort of themes and that philosophy is what allowed the Western civilizations to advance,“ he said. ”Each person has their own value and each person has that kind of—they’re here for something more than just to serve some other person.”
After seeing Shen Yun and reflecting on his personal travels to China, Lau made a cultural connection that was full of hope and promise.
“I see hope for China. I see hope for everybody,“ he said. ”I am very optimistic. Communist governments are a threat. Totalitarian dictator governments are a threat, but Chinese people are not a threat.”
