Larry Johnson, an architectural firm owner, said, “It was just beautiful. I love the performances. There’s so much energy and balance and symmetry and beauty. It was more than I could have ever expected. It was tastefully done and yet more than you could ever take in in a single performance. I can’t wait to see it again.”
Jason Dailey, a business owner, said, “The choreography is amazing. The performance is really great.”
He also noticed a patented special effect for which Shen Yun is known. “The flips and turns and spins. I think it’s unique how they perform on the stage and then transition onto the screen with the videos. It’s really unique,” he said.
David Rixham, a communications director of Emmanuel College, said, “The dancing is amazing. The special effects, the song that we were treated to; it’s all been an absolutely great experience.”
“Nowadays, when you move, when you see China, people always have a bad mindset about it. But doing this, it opens people’s minds to see that China is a beautiful country. It has a beautiful tradition and culture. So it’s not about the bad things that are going on there. Before that, China was beautiful, and that is exactly what Shen Yun is doing right now; educating people and telling us what the real China is, all about its beauty,” Jessica Dailey, a special education paraprofessional, said.
Inga Knox, a project manager, said, “The story was so good. And the perception of it [China] ... we’re coming from the former Soviet Union, coming from similar countries in terms of how it was perceived. But I really appreciated it.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun has been touring the world since 2006, and has grown to eight different companies. Each performance showcases themes of spirituality and faith, which left a deep impression on theatergoers.
Mr. Rixham said, “To see a message like this and be treated to something like this—from dancers, performers that are in their twenties and thirties—it’s just an inspiring thing to see people that want to grow a certain culture and grow a certain faith. So to see something like that is tremendous.”
“The spirituality is definitely there. My mom and I, we are spiritual people. We believe in not so much religion, but spiritual force, strengths, and being, if you will. And I think the show was a really good reminder of that, so we really enjoyed it,” Ms. Knox said.
Mr. Johnson said, “It’s important to try to understand all the cultural depictions that are being presented and reflect back upon all the different centuries of history. So it was really meaningful to connect.”
“I think it’s wonderful. Music, action, and culture are amazing. Many people, I think, should come and enjoy it. It’s a wonderful show and I’m very proud of what they do and what you guys do,” business owner Efendi Atma said.
