TORONTO—Enthusiastic audience members filled the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to welcome back Shen Yun Performing Arts on June 25. Among them were Hina Aslam, an IT project manager, and her daughter, Inayah. “It was brilliant. The message was really good,” said Ms. Aslam, who was very much impressed by Shen Yun’s dance and the spirituality of the show.
“The peacock dance, the way the peacock came out was mind-blowing. It was a wow moment because I wasn’t expecting it, but I could relate. It was something about the beauty, the appreciation of life, and being kind. All of these were very good messages, and I think especially these days, they are much needed,” Ms. Aslam said, referring to the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
“You have to be connected with your spirit. You have to live by that principle. I think that’s one of the things that is lacking right now, especially in the world we’re living in. It’s much needed, and I think these messages, especially to the youth, should be given repeatedly,” she added.
Inayah said, “I loved the music. I thought the dances were so whimsical, so ethereal. I felt like I was looking at royalty, literally. It was just like ancient China come to life. It was amazing.”
The finale deeply resonated with Ms. Aslam, “The finale was actually bringing everything together. Regardless of how the time changes, how technology changes, how people change, the values are the same. They have to be embedded.”
“Being kind, being hopeful, being positive, it doesn’t matter what era or what part of the world we’re living in. It’s the same for everybody,” she said.
Ms. Aslam loved Shen Yun’s music and the lyrics. She said, “The lyrics resonate with the world right now. As long as you’re connected to your roots, you will always stay strong. You know where to come back to; you know where home is.”
Inayah agreed. She said she thought the lyrics carried an important message. “The lyrics specifically say that you have to believe in God, you have to have your own faith, which is really important, especially these days, when so much is going on in the world.”
“A lot of people are atheists. They don’t really believe in anything, so I feel like that makes you lose purpose in life,” she added.
