MELBOURNE, Australia—On the evening of March 14, human resources manager Michael Price attended the tenth performance by Shen Yun New Era Company at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Plenary Theatre. During the performance, Price said he gained a profound understanding of the principles of “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance,” and felt a deep resonance with the values presented on stage.
Mr. Price expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Shen Yun artists. “Thank you, sincerely,” he said. “You leave people feeling inspired. I feel like I’m leaving with more than what I came into the show with.”
Mr. Price shared that while listening to the erhu solo, he experienced a powerful inner response and reflected on the meaning of truth.
“The soloist—the music was vibrating through me,” Mr. Price said. “As she was playing, it was actually generating thoughts in my mind.”
He explained that he remembered some personal experiences. “If I had to put a theme on it, I would probably say it was about the importance of truth,” he said. “Just things that are going on in my own life. Hearing that instrument brought up feelings of the importance of truth.”
Traditional Chinese culture holds that uplifting music can inspire and elevate the human spirit. Mr. Price said he felt exactly that. “As I was listening to it, these thoughts just kept coming into my mind. I felt like the music was touching me—vibrating through me.”
Throughout Shen Yun’s performance, traditional values such as filial piety, kindness, truthfulness, and loyalty are present on stage through dance.
Classical Chinese dance is known for its incredible potential in expression. The movements allow Shen Yun to retell stories from Chinese history, literature, and its rich tapestry of myths and legends.
Through the storylines, Mr. Price felt the importance of tolerance and kindness. “I really appreciated the idea that you reap what you sow,” he said.
He added that these values are really important, and he therefore wanted to bring his children to see Shen Yun next year.
Falun Dafa is a meditation practice introduced to the public in 1992. It rapidly gained widespread popularity in China during the 1990s. However, the Chinese Communist Party—afraid of the faith’s influence—began a campaign to persecute Falun Dafa practitioners in 1999.
Shen Yun’s presentation of traditional values rooted in 5,000 years of Chinese civilization also left a strong impression on Mr. Price. Reflecting on the message he took from the performance, he said, “I think coming back to the basics is important. We can get lost in chasing wealth or our own personal growth, instead of sharing with the community and caring for others.”
He noted the performance reminded him of values that should guide people’s lives. “It’s not so much that I learned something new,” he said. “It’s more that it reinstalled some things that should be important—don’t be too self-indulgent, care for your fellow citizens and your family, and do the right thing.”
Speaking about his biggest takeaway from the evening, Price said the performance inspired him to seek greater inner peace through meditation.
“I feel like I need to slow down and spend more time meditating,” he said. “That way I can grow more, expand myself, and help others do the things I know I’m capable of. If I slow down and meditate, I think those things will come naturally. Then I’ll be able to help more people.”
Inspired by the experience, Price reiterated that he plans to return with his children next year. “It’s spectacular,” he said. “There’s definitely a lot of meaning in it. It was a powerful performance.”
