SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun ‘Very Inspiring,’ Says Hong Kong Watch Founder

Mar 31, 2023
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Shen Yun ‘Very Inspiring,’ Says Hong Kong Watch Founder
Aileen Calverley enjoyed Shen Yun at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, in Toronto, on March 31, 2023. (Allen Zhou/The Epoch Times)

TORONTO, Canada—The China that once boasted 5,000 years of civilization and unbroken recorded history is not the China of today, which has been under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1949.

Aileen Calverley, trustee and co-founder of Hong Kong Watch, is plenty familiar with the human rights atrocities happening at the hands of the CCP, and was appreciative of being able to spend two-and-a-half hours immersed in “China before communism” during Shen Yun Performing Arts’ opening night performance in Toronto on March 31.

“I think it’s very good. I want to watch [it] every year. I’m very happy that I can make it this year,” said Ms. Calverley at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

New York-based Shen Yun, formed in 2006, is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company.

“Chinese culture is very deep. So a lot of depth in the culture and also very long history. And from the performance today, we can see—they’ve got different styles of dance, different traditions. So that is also very interesting,” Ms. Calverley said.

Along with classical Chinese dance, Shen Yun’s programs also include ethnic and folk dances showing some of China’s 50-plus ethnic minority groups.

In the story-telling dances, the tales range from ancient legends to modern-day events happening in China today.

Being a human rights advocate, Ms. Calverley expressed how moved she was by a piece that touched on the CCP’s persecution of the Chinese people, including Falun Gong practitioners.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, is a peaceful spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It was introduced to the public in China in 1992 and banned by the CCP in 1999. By then, an estimated 100 million people had taken up the practice.
“We are very supportive of Falun Gong ... and I’m really happy that this Shen Yun, this dance, got a tour around the world and can tell people who don’t know the story,” Ms. Calverley said.
“I think this is a very good cultural event to let people know about Chinese culture [and] Chinese art. At the same time, the situation in China—the violation of human rights in China. And also the horrible experience of Falun Gong practitioners. So I think this is a very good performance.”
“Yes, it’s very sad. And I feel that it’s very good to let more people know about the situation right now. It’s wonderful to see all the dances, to show the history and culture. But I think that piece about what’s happening, the suppression part, I think to me that’s very touching.”
Ms. Calverley said Shen Yun’s treatment of the serious topic was done with hope, and “that’s very inspiring.”

“Even in suffering, you still have hope,” she said.

Reporting by Allen Zhou.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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