MILWAUKEE—Tom Wozniak took away from seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company “the importance of respect and compassion for one another,” he said.
“It is a theme that should be universal: compassion, passion about your history, and your pride in your culture,” said the financial adviser for New England Financial.
Mr. Wozniak was seeing Shen Yun’s mission manifesting onstage at the Milwaukee Theatre on March 5. Shen Yun aims to restore China’s 5,000 years of nearly lost traditional culture through music and dance.
And Mr. Wozniak felt that he had learned a lot about Chinese history through the performance: “It is an interesting outlook on what is happening in history and the ancient history, so learning a lot of the history in general.”
In addition to ancient legends and myths, Shen Yun presents stories from contemporary China. One such piece depicts the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China. Falun Gong (also known and Falun Dafa) practitioners follow the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance.
Mr. Wozniak explained that before the performance he didn’t know a thing about the persecution which started in 1999.
In addition to learning about Chinese history, he enjoyed the quality of the performance, in particular mentioning the costuming and the timing of the dances.
“Every costume in a Shen Yun performance is presented with brilliant colors, displaying a splendid spectacle—from the Tang Dynasty’s “Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers” to imperial dragon robes, phoenix coronets, and cloud capes,” the company’s website states.
But even more impressive for him was how the dancers worked together: “Perfection with the timing is probably the most impressive thing. Synchronized, yes, that is the word I was trying to get,” he said.
Shen Yun specializes in large scale dances with intricate formations that move through space. Audiences always seem to mention that the timing is perfect.
In conclusion, Mr. Wozniak said, “Shen Yun offers a lesson in other cultures, and I would say just the celebration of culture.”
Reporting by Stacey Tang 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.
The 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.
