ROUEN, France—On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Zénith in Rouen was sold out. People from Normandy, Brittany, and even the Paris region had made the trip to immerse themselves in the unique world of Shen Yun Performing Arts.
Mr. Pitaval said he was “completely in awe” of Chinese classical dance, “which brings out so many emotions!”
A Thousands-Year-Old Cultural Heritage
Classical Chinese dance is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world. Its movements draw on thousands of years of history, originating from successive dynasties, imperial court dances, and even popular street theater performances.This artistic discipline draws on a dancer’s “yun” (韻), an essential concept that allows emotions and feelings to be expressed without uttering a single word.
Mr. Pitaval also identified a “magical side, a lavish side with all the mysticism of China: gods, goddesses, animals flying above the mountains in the heavens! It was really very expressive, and I felt very moved by everything that was shown!”
He said these emotions stem from the stories told on stage, which not only “show a more turbulent history of China, with the persecutions that took place under the communist regime, but also all the love stories, ancient loves throughout this land, this civilization of China.”
Beyond scenes celebrating traditional Chinese culture, Shen Yun also exposes a contemporary reality: the persecution suffered by practitioners of Falun Dafa. Since 1999, practitioners of this meditation discipline, based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, have been harassed, imprisoned, and tortured to death by the Chinese communist regime. Forced organ harvesting has also been perpetrated since 2001.
“I felt completely connected to the deities,” says Emmanuel Pitaval, “because ultimately, in Western civilization, and even in France, we are increasingly steeped in Chinese culture and identity through martial arts and films. This allows us to connect a little more with Chinese history.”
The executive also appreciated the values conveyed by the show: “These traditional values of serenity, inner strength, and inner peace also allow you to express your strength outwardly. So it also spoke to me in terms of the positive energy that is reflected back, and therefore, the feeling of being stronger in this way.”
Emmanuel Pitaval, therefore, believes Shen Yun offers a different view of China: “It’s interesting to see that China is not just the image we have of this authoritarian dictatorship. There is another side to China shown through this performance.”
