LONDON, U.K.—The audience attending the evening performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts enjoyed themselves at London’s Eventim Apollo on Jan. 26. Joanna Richards, a fashion business owner, her sister Stephanie Reidhead visiting from the United States, and Onder Hussein, also in the fashion business, had a fascinating evening.
The costumes’ colors amazed Ms. Richards, who said: “They’re stunning, stunningly beautiful, elegant, vibrant. Just beautiful.” As a fashion expert, the costumes inspired Ms. Richards. “I loved the flowing,” she said.
Ms. Richards said how much they appreciated Chinese culture and natural medicines. “We were quite believers in Chinese culture and their medicine and their whole holistic way of being healthy.” She said she consults with a Chinese doctor and could feel a sense of healing and uplifting from the performance. “We feel it,” she said.
Ms. Reidhead said: “It’s interesting. I’m from America. And I don’t really know a lot about Chinese culture that much.” She noted how the hosts’ explanations helped her to understand the dances. “It’s really interesting. I like the explanation [about the Creator], and they tell you what it’s going to be about so that way you understand better. I like it.”
‘Positive and Soft’
M. Shafik Gabr, chairman and managing director of the ARTOC Group for Investment & Development, said that Shen Yun’s performance was “extremely innovative and creative, and presents a message that many people don’t know about China and the history of what we’re watching.”
He said it is good to appreciate another culture, especially that of China before communism. “I think the effort is very good,” he said. “I think it needs to be much wider, and much more made aware. Frankly, China and my country share 5,000 years of history,” said Mr. Gabr, who is from Egypt.
Mr. Gabr said it’s very important to keep one’s culture alive. “In all honesty, these countries need to always—always put their culture forward because that history is very important for civilization.”
He noted the preeminence of truth, compassion, and forbearance in the dances. “I can see that, yes, I can see that,” he said. He felt the spiritual side of the performance greatly. “Very spiritual, as a matter of fact.”
‘A Really Beautiful Cultural Experience’
Marcelo Gavazzi, an engineer, said Shen Yun was “better than I thought. Enjoyed it.” Nita Upadhye, a lawyer, said, “The dancing was phenomenal, and the costumes were stunning.”
The music and instruments in the live orchestra amazed them both. Ms. Upadhye noted the two-string erhu entranced her. “That was probably one of my favorite moments of the show,” she said. “That was so beautiful. It’s a really beautiful cultural experience.”
Mr. Gavazzi said the erhu also resonated with him. “It’s connected to the soul. Really liked it.”
Shen Yun is reviving traditional Chinese culture before communism. Ms. Upadhye said, “I loved it. It really resonated with me.”
Mr. Gavazzi concurred. “Same here,” he said. He received a positive message from Shen Yun’s performance. “Goodness. Doing kindness. Doing the right thing,” he said.
Ms. Upadhye had this to say to the performers: “Oh. Bravo. It was a brilliant performance. Really stunning. And I’m very honored to see them.”
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