GOLD COAST, Australia—Letitia Huston, a global wholesale manager at the Brisbane-based athletic apparel retailer Lorna Jane, was astonished by Shen Yun Performing Arts’ encompassment of Chinese cultural elements after attending a sold-out matinee performance at HOTA on Feb. 24.
“It’s just so encompassing. There’s comedy, there’s acrobatics, there’s entertainment in all aspects to it,” she said.
The world-renowned performing art company’s mission is to revive the 5,000 years of Chinese culture, and to give the global audience a glimpse of “China before communism.”
Ms. Huston was touched by the way Shen Yun dancers conveyed emotions through their movements and expressions, especially in a piece that depicted the story of a devoted couple.
“We could actually see the seasons changing, and you could feel the emotion of two people who loved each other being so far apart,” she said.
A Breathtaking Surprise
Lara Coleman, an interior designer who lived in China for a period of time, said it was breathtaking to see the beauty of the old China and the tradition portrayed by Shen Yun.“That’s something that you don’t see in China now. So it was inspiring and hopeful,” she said.
Ms. Coleman was also blown away by how much emotion came through in every dance piece, saying every dance had something to offer.
She added that the final piece, which told the story about the Creator coming down to save the world’s people, struck her at a deep level.
“I just thought it was absolutely beautiful to see. I don’t think I’ve seen divinity absolutely portrayed so beautifully on stage before,” Ms. Coleman said.
“The modern view of China has none of that. There’s so much commonality between the way that traditional Chinese people and the Western culture view divinity and having a Creator,” he said.
“All of us need saving, and that was very encouraging.”
Ms. Coleman also said it was nice to see their shared view about the Creator come to life in Shen Yun’s performance, adding that it was essential to retain faith in the Divine.
