“I was amazed … It really is an incredible show,” Ms. Cavazos said. “The discipline of all the young people who participated is incredible.”
“You can see the hard work and their conviction … the deep-rooted connection they have to their culture [and] to preserving it,” she added. “Everyone on stage shows us all the passion they have for defending their … history [and] their traditions.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s leading classical Chinese dance production. Featuring a live orchestra that blends Eastern and Western instrumentation and authentic classical Chinese dance that has been passed down from antiquity, Shen Yun presents story-based dances that span 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.
“It really showcases many disciplines: the discipline of work, the discipline of art, the discipline of music—but above all, the discipline of being supportive of an entire society on an international level,” she said.
“It really raised our awareness a lot,” she added.
“I think it’s very important to … remember our history, because not remembering our history leads us to make mistakes,” Ms. Cavazos said. “Our principles, our cultures, our roots must always be defended, must always be preserved, and must always be promoted.”
She said it is “magnificent” that Shen Yun is presenting that “through music, dance, and this great show.”
“I came with my family—my children—because I believe it’s important for the family to see and feel these roots, so that we truly learn to respect cultures and traditions,” she added.
Falun Dafa is a Buddhist-Daoist practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. In 1999, the CCP launched a persecution campaign against the spiritual practice, and adherents have since been subjected to unprecedented imprisonment, torture, and abuse—including forced organ harvesting.
Ms. Cavazos said that despite “everything they’re experiencing in their country … it’s a great message … that they’re reclaiming the sovereignty of who they are as a culture and as a country.”
“Human rights and the values that all of us possess must always be present in our entire environment,” she added. “So, the fact that this show makes us feel each of these values is very important because it makes us live … by these principles and values that we hold as a society.”
“Having this kind of show that truly fulfills you in every way is wonderful,” she said. “Thank you very much. We appreciate this so much, and we hope to welcome you here next year.”
