MIAMI—Every audience member can have a different takeaway after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts. For Florida State Representative Juan Fernandez-Barquin who saw the performance at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 30, what really struck him was
Shen Yun’s portrayal of modern China.
“The main takeaway is that my suspicion of what’s going on in China—of the oppression of the people, the history of the culture, of the traditions—is absolutely one hundred percent true,” said Mr. Fernandez-Barquin. “It’s something that is not brought forth in mainstream television and it’s something that everybody needs to know about.”
Based in New York,
Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese
artists who fled the persecution and oppression of China’s communist regime. Shen Yun’s goal is to revive traditional Chinese culture through classical Chinese
dance and music, and to show its audiences the beauty of
China before communism.
“What really strikes me is that this is an absolute affirmation of the travesty and tragedy that a dictatorship will impose on people, on culture, [and] on history,” said Mr. Fernandez-Barquin. “And it’s a complete affirmation of the tragedy and the abuse of human rights that’s going on in China.”
While most of
Shen Yun’s dance vignettes display the essence of China’s
imperial dynasties, there are also story dances set in modern-day China that depict the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of followers of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
Mr. Fernandez-Barquin said that he knew about
Falun Gong’s persecution before seeing the performance.
“I actually was aware of this issue before,” said Mr. Fernandez-Barquin. “Forced organ harvesting and forced organ transplants and kidnappings, and gross violations of human rights.”
The performance, therefore, gave Mr. Fernandez-Barquin “a much deeper comprehension of the tragedy and the travesty that’s going on,” and he said that it was “something that we need to make sure that the American people know of what’s going on.”
Mr. Fernandez-Barquin was also struck by the
songs performed in bel canto style. “The deep religious meaning behind what the individuals were singing was certainly what struck me the most,” he said. “I do believe in a divine being.”
Mr. Fernandez-Barquin had a message for Shen Yun’s artistic director as well.
“I think it was fantastic, and to keep doing a great job. I think the choreography was phenomenal. The message was great. And it was incredibly powerful.”
Reporting by NTD and Wandi Zhu.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
