WASHINGTON—Larry Johnson, a former photographer for J.C. Penny and Kaiserworks, was blown away by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Trump Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 17.
“I’ve never seen any show in my life like it. I’ve seen Broadway, I’ve seen concerts, this just opened my mind up to a new experience … it just blew me away,” Mr. Johnson said.
As a visual artist, Mr. Johnson was impressed with the colors of the performance, from the costumes to the digital backdrop that allows audiences to see beyond the stage.
“I can’t even tell you what colors they are … all kinds of colors I’ve never seen,” he said. “It was marvelous.”
Mr. Johnson said the performance was a transformational experience that opened his heart and mind.
“I went in as one person, I came out a different person,” he said. “It just made me feel like a new human being.”
“It took me to a place … in my inner self—my inner spirit came out,” he added.
‘Freedom of Expression and Being Able to Be Free’
Walter Stewart, a sports coach, also enjoyed Shen Yun at the Trump Kennedy Center Opera House on Jan. 17.
“There’s a lot of very profound history and a lot of culture in China, and it’s so good to see,” he said. “It really puts you in another world, and it makes you really think.”
Aside from being impressed with the dancers, Mr. Stewart was amazed by the company’s patented method of integrating a 3D animated backdrop with the stage performance. The special effect allows the performers to magically travel back and forth between the stage and the animated background scene.
“The interaction of the digital screen with the live performance is something that I’ve never seen before,” he said.
China was once known as “The Land of the Divine,” but much of China’s heritage has been destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In addition to showcasing stories based on myths and legends, Shen Yun aims to preserve the country’s ancient spirituality, including the current, persecuted Falun Dafa meditation practice.
“When they were talking about Falun Dafa … that touched my heart because it talked about the freedom of expression and being able to be free,” Mr. Stewart said.
“Stay true to yourself, … stick with your beliefs as long as they’re good, [and] don’t let anyone take that away from you … I think there’s a lot of good in that,” he said.
