SYDNEY, Australia—Chris Parton, who works in IT, said how happy he was for a return visit to Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on March 21.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive the beauty from the 5,000 years of culture that was “China before communism.” In the 2-hour performance, stories are dramatized in dance to share the values and lessons embedded in China’s ancient heritage.
Mr. Parton supported Shen Yun’s efforts. “It’s really good to get exposed to the different parts of the history from 300 years ago to what’s happening in China now. It’s really good to see it in dance and art,” he said.
He enjoyed both the men’s and ladies’ Mongolian ethnic dances. “I like the Mongolian dances, both the men’s and the women’s. Just the colors, the tempo of the dancers, and lots of energy,” Mr. Parton said.
Many audience members said the traditional values of Chinese culture carry good values for modern society.
“So many of the things that were taught and shared tonight are very similar to what I think and feel,” Mr. Parton said.
As the curtain rose, the audience was greeted with a magnificent scene of divine beings following the Creator to Earth “To Begin a New Era.” According to the program, “Divinities of every kind heed the call, joining the perilous journey down to the human world” to lay down the culture and knowledge of the divine needed to offer humanity salvation. Mr. Parton reflected on that.
He also resonated with the piece about the Chinese emperor who would disguise himself as a commoner to see how his people were living. One time, while on a mission to bring food to a region devastated by floods, he saw a local official stealing from the supplies for the villagers and refused to stand by.
“[It’s like how we lived] before coming to Earth. We had all the opportunities to grow and to do good, like the king. [The king] came in secret to see what was happening. So he wasn’t, ‘Look at me, I’m the king.’ He just came in secret to serve. That’s what I like doing, just doing little bits and pieces without anybody knowing.”
Mr. Parton said, “I think [Shen Yun’s storytelling is] definitely trying to get goodness back into society, just be unselfish and help everybody without an agenda. I definitely agree with the message that was shared tonight.”
Shen Yun features a live orchestra that supports each dance piece on stage. Both Eastern and Western instruments are harmoniously combined in the original music scores.
“I thought [the music] was recorded because it was so spot on; that’s one of the things I noticed. When a dancer would do something, it would be spot on with the orchestra. The orchestra was amazing, even those on stage playing the piano and singing,” Mr. Parton said.
To the performers and all of Shen Yun’s staff, Mr. Parton said, “I’m just grateful for their dedication to learning and coming out to Australia to share it. From the emcees to the dancers and the musicians, to the people who write it and do all the different displays, I’m just grateful for them and for their time to share their message with us. Thank you so much.”
“I was happy to come back. I just enjoy the timing, the performances, the color of the dresses, and everything. It’s a great night out.”
He said he would recommend Shen Yun to others. “I definitely would recommend other people to come and have this experience. Get on and book tickets. Have the experience, have a night in town, and watch a great show.”
