WATERBURY, Conn.—Artist Thomas Wolff walked into the Palace Theater with his daughter Cassandra and had no idea what to expect from Shen Yun Performing Arts. Coming out of the theater, he was floored with what an experience it was.
“It was fantastic. It was gorgeous, it was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous,” said Mr. Wolff, founding partner of a New York-based art firm that has been commissioned by clients like Bill Gates, Angelica Page, and Perrier. “It is something that you would never see. I have never seen anything like it.”
“For me as an artist, the colors and the patterns and all of that that the dancers created was fantastic, and very touching,” Mr. Wolff said.
New York-based Shen Yun told mini-dramas through classical Chinese dance and music blending East and West, with stories spanning 5,000 years, and showing the culture and civilization of China.
Ms. Wolff found The Steadfast Lotus to be especially touching, and said she was almost moved to tears by the dancers’ performance in the story.
The fluidity of their movements combined with the essence of the story, which touched on the persecution of spiritual groups in China today, struck a chord with the father and daughter.
“The idea of striving for spirituality and having to fight sometimes for spirituality, having to fight against persecution is a pretty timeless story,” Mr. Wolff said. “It was very powerful.”
For Mr. Wolff as an artist, the performance was inspiring in the scenery of the digital background and the colors of the performance. But he hoped Shen Yun would be an inspiration to the Chinese as well.
“For those who can’t see this in China, I would say don’t give up,” Mr. Wolff said.
Ms. Wolff shared the sentiment, and said she wished the people in China could uphold traditional Chinese values freely.
“I wish that [Chinese people] would be able to continue their practices and be able to see the performances, and I hope that they can,” Ms. Wolff said.
Reporting by NTD Television and Catherine Yang
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.
