CHICAGO—The Blair family enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Civic Opera House on May 3.
Raquel Blair, who does mental health counselling, said Shen Yun “was very, very impressive. Very beautiful. I love the colors including the music. All the culture of China was very beautiful to enjoy.”
She said how interesting China’s culture and history before communism was and how much she enjoyed it.
Mrs. Blair brought her daughter because of her interest in dance. Rachel, 10, is learning ballet and especially liked the “Water Sleeves” ladies dance with their long silken sleeves.
“It was perfect for all of us as a family,” she said.
Shen Yun presents stories from ancient China to the present. “The Steadfast Heart” is set in modern times. According to the program, “It tells of people who practice Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong), the meditation discipline guided by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Falun Dafa practitioners could once be found in parks across China. But in 1999, the communist regime, fearing the practice’s popularity, launched a brutal campaign to wipe it out.”
Richard Blair said the dangers of communism for the world are “widely known.”
“It’s great that they were able to present that in the show and put that in front of us,” he said.
“I think most people understand the situation. We may not understand the depth of it or the severity of it. We’ve never been to China, so we don’t know first-hand what that’s like, unless you’ve actually been there, seen it, and experienced it. We [learn about it] mostly what we see through TV.
“You have to be careful what you watch on TV nowadays: What’s true, what’s not true. Communism has been in China for a long time. It’s political power at play,” he said. “As a human being, it’s a sad situation.”
Mr. Blair liked the spiritual elements in the program. “I loved it. I thought that was great. I think the message was on point. It’s surprising to see.”
Mr. Blair wasn’t expecting “the storyline of a Creator that’s brought this all together, and the underlying message of atheism and evolutionism not being on mark ... which I really appreciated.”
He said he hoped the world’s people would get this message. “I think it’s very important. I think the spiritual realm of life is something that a lot of people miss out on today.
“At least in this country, it’s not what it used to be at one point in time. It’s a missing link for a lot of people, so it’s great. It was unexpected in the show, but I’m thankful it was there. I think it was a great piece. I really appreciated it.”
Mr. Blair, a CPA of the American Osteopathic Foundation, said, “It’s a great show. It was fun how they brought in the animation on the backdrop and brought a new twist to the show. Plus, the live orchestra I really loved.”
