SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Former Symphony President Says Shen Yun Is a Classic

Jan 27, 2024
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Former Symphony President Says Shen Yun Is a Classic
Bill Walton enjoyed Shen Yun at the The Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., on the evening of Jan. 27, 2024. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As the former president of the National Symphony Orchestra, Bill Walton is more than familiar with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts the orchestra calls home. On the evening of Jan. 27, he attended a new performance at the center’s Opera House that Mr. Walton felt was an instant classic.

Shen Yun Performing Arts “holds up” to the major classical masterpieces, Mr. Walton shared.

“I think it’s wonderful. They’re bringing all these great fables to life on stage, and the dancing is spectacular,” he said. “I love the way they use the animation to amplify what’s happening on the stage. It’s very clever.”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, reviving a once nearly lost ancient art form.
Since 2006, the company has put on an all-new production this year, with several unique aspects, such as the patented backdrop technology Mr. Walton noticed.
Also unique is the fact that the Chinese culture Shen Yun presents is traditional, or “China before communism,” as the company has described in recent years.

It’s hard to find such a thing, Mr. Walton said, and not for his lack of trying.

“I’ve studied a lot. I’ve read a lot on Chinese history, and there’s a wonderful civilization that stretched back thousands [of years],” he said. “I think this shows what actual Chinese culture is about. It’s lovely to see.”

Mr. Walton added that he was moved by one of the story-based dances, which showed a scene from China today, rather than history.

The story showed practitioners of Falun Gong who live out their faith and the traditional values of truth, compassion, and forbearance, even in the face of persecution by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The persecution began in 1999 and is still ongoing. Oftentimes, audience members will say that Shen Yun is the first they’ve heard about this human rights crisis and appreciate the awareness the arts company has raised around the world.

“What’s happening in China is criminal, is genocide. And I’m glad we had a chance to see that brought to life on the stage,” Mr. Walton said.

Reporting by Terri Wu.
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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