TORONTO—School trustee Amu Sriskandarajah saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on the afternoon of April 7.
“It’s been absolutely beautiful,” said Ms. Sriskandarajah. “It’s a stunning performance. The synchronicity of the dancers is remarkable. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it. I encourage everyone to come out and see it. It’s a beautiful cultural experience. Children would benefit from it as well. It’s very engaging.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Now, with eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously, Shen Yun is on a
mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty of China before communism.
As a school trustee, Ms. Sriskandarajah saw educational value for young children in Shen Yun’s performance. She said she was glad to see children among the audience and that “it’s really beautiful for children to get an exposure to the different
art forms in one cohesive piece.”
According to Shen Yun’s website, traditional
Chinese culture is founded on the spiritual teachings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Ms. Sriskandarajah said she believes the wisdom from traditional Chinese culture is beneficial to people’s mental health.
“We know now that children are often much more anxious and having a lot of issues with the technologies,” said Ms. Sriskandarajah. “Not just children, adults as well. These ancient art forms really allow us to be mindful, be connected, be present, and it’s crucial that we continue these practices because they continue to have—if not more than ever—a really important impact in our current realities.”
Ms. Sriskandarajah said that because the values presented in Shen Yun’s performance are universal, people of any culture could learn from them. “They’re universal for a reason. We all can learn, and we all benefit, and it’s cross-culture. We experience all the same things, and this really shows you that we’re not that very different,” she said.
“And despite all the new changes the world constantly goes through, there’s certain truths that continue to exist that have existed for thousands of years ... values like truth, compassion, kindness.”
“Sometimes we need that reminder,” she added.
Ms. Sriskandarajah also said that she would fully recommend Shen Yun and encourage parents to bring their children to see the performance. “I see a lot of students in the audience. I encourage parents to bring their children. If you’re in doubt that my child can’t sit through this, they will. It is so captivating. It’s colorful. There’re back flips and all sorts of exciting things that your children will continue to be excited by.”
