TORONTO, Canada—Vaughan, Ont., city councilor Chris Ainsworth saw Shen Yun for his second year in a row on March 28 at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and said the show was “phenomenal.”
“I love the performances. My favorite performance so far tonight was the monkey dance. I love to see how the monkey comes right out from the screen onto the stage. It’s magical,” Mr. Ainsworth said during the intermission at the evening performance.
“It’s so amazing to see that 5,000 years ago, we’re still celebrating the beauty and the magic of China dances,” Mr. Ainsworth said.
“The performances tonight are phenomenal. The dancers, they must do so much training. The costumes and the design and the set design are beyond magical,” Mr. Ainsworth said.
“The communism that still goes on today, that’s awful,” Mr. Ainsworth said.
“My thought ... is that we need to have free expression. We need to be able to speak our minds. This is a performance you could come and see where that is actually happening. It’s nice to see that it’s not being stopped, at least here in Canada.”
Mr. Ainsworth had a message for people in Toronto who have not yet seen Shen Yun perform: “People need to come out and see this. It’s life-changing.”
‘Kindness, Respect, and Inclusion’
York Region District School Board Chair Ron Lynn praised the same performance at the Four Seasons Centre, saying he was “so humbled” to see Shen Yun again this year.“I just want to say thank you very much to the entire Shen Yun organization for their wonderful work, for the great display of the artistry, the dance, the flexibility, the hard work behind this,” Mr. Lynn said after seeing the evening performance.
“I am so humbled to be here again this evening.”
“From an education perspective, it is so important that knowledge of culture extends beyond the classroom,” Mr. Lynn said. “Through art and through musical expression, all these dancers allow us, the audience, to experience the great and deep 5,000 years of Chinese culture.”
Mr. Lynn noted that Shen Yun offers the audience an opportunity to reflect on showing “kindness, respect, and inclusion” to one another.
Shen Yun also presents stories that depict the CCP’s ongoing persecution of faith in China today, including the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. The performing arts company was founded by Falun Dafa practitioners who fled persecution of their faith in China.
“Thank you to all the wonderful dancers, the students,” Mr. Lynn said, adding that the dancers and musicians have “so much” to give back to society. “I know you are doing this for a great mission.”
“I wish you all the very, very best and continue to spread the very good message.”
