SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Investor Calls Shen Yun an Investment That Betters Mankind

Jan 20, 2024
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Investor Calls Shen Yun an Investment That Betters Mankind
Kevin Robinson with his wife, Jeanette, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Music Hall at Fair Park, in Dallas, on Jan. 20, 2024.(Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times)
DALLAS—Kevin Robinson, an investor, surprised his wife Jeanette, an oncology nurse, with tickets to Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Music Hall at Fair Park on Jan. 20.

“We’re very enthralled and appreciate it very much,” Mr. Robinson said. “It was as good as advertised!”

“It’s worth the investment,” he added, “for kindness and unity and bettering mankind.”

“We forget the basics of what makes a better world, a better environment, and I liked how they are promoting kindness … it’s just very wholesome.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Through the universal language of music and dance, the company presents story-based dances depicting heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales—together spanning 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture.

According to Shen Yun’s website, the presented heroes embody the most exalted virtues of Chinese civilization and convey morals still relevant to the modern day.

“I thought it was a good representation of many art forms in China: music, dance … classic culture, current culture,” Mr. Robinson said. “And … they addressed our common enemy, which is Satan, who is out to bring defeat, confusion, [and] war.”

Appreciating the revival of spiritual values demonstrated in Shen Yun, he said, “We need a lot more love, compassion, and kindness across all cultures.”

Shen Yun features a one-of-a-kind live orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments with a classical Western orchestra and hand-sewn costumes that are true to traditional aesthetics and styles.
“The colors were very vibrant … I felt very joyful,” Mrs. Robinson said. “And even though it shared defeat or struggles, it also gave hope and new light in your walk!”

Keeping Traditions Alive

James Lehrberger enjoyed Shen Yun at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas on Jan. 20, 2024. (Nancy Ma/The Epoch Times)
James Lehrberger enjoyed Shen Yun at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas on Jan. 20, 2024. (Nancy Ma/The Epoch Times)

James Lehrberger, a Catholic priest and retiring professor at the University of Dallas, enjoyed Shen Yun at the Music Hall at Fair Park on Jan. 20.

“I’m enjoying it very much,” he said. “It’s keeping alive certain things that we in the West ought to keep alive … it’s very beautiful and lovely.”

Mr. Lehrberger admired the differences between the female and male dancers and how each conveyed the traditions and virtues, respective of their sex, through their movements.

In ancient Chinese culture, men cherished valor and loyalty, and hence, their movements may demonstrate more power and dynamism. Women, in balance with the masculine energy, demonstrate prudence, gentility, and modesty.

The male dancers, he noted, were “more athletic,” while the women showcased a more “feminine” impression.

With its flips and gentle elegance, classical Chinese dance is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun has preserved the true aesthetics of this classical dance system—the way it was passed down in antiquity— and presents this authentic culture in its purest form.

Mr. Lehrberger appreciated Shen Yun’s “illuminating” message as the performers explored “the different aspects of human life,” from the perspective of Mongolian clans on the steppes, to the situations facing modern-day police in China under communist rule.

Reporting by Sonia Wu, Nancy Ma, and Jennifer Schneider.
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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