Shen Yun ‘A Rebirth of the Soul’ Says Arizona Patron
Feb 18, 2023
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Franchelle Marshman and Chris Marshman at the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, in Arizona, on Feb. 17, 2023. (Mary Mann/The Epoch Times)
MESA, Ariz.—“It was teaching beauty, grace, honor, compassion, being true to your heart and to what’s right,” said Franchelle Marshman about Shen Yun Performing Arts, “if you forget that, then you can’t go forward in the future.”
Mrs. Marshman, telemetry tech in a hospital, attended the Shen Yun performance with her husband Chris Marshman, CEO of a non-profit, at the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center in Arizona on Feb. 17.
“Absolutely wonderful, absolutely beautiful,” said Mrs. Marshman.
“I love the way [they] told stories, each individual story, each different region from China … It was really, really beautiful.”
Mr. Marshman loved how Shen Yun “told a universal story.”
“They would tell a story of happiness, joy, pain, loss,” he said, “it doesn’t matter whether you’re American or whether you’re Chinese, you understood the story … it was very nice.”
New York-based Shen Yun performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dances, and story-based dances, accompanied by a unique orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments with classical Western instruments.
A former ballet dancer, Mrs. Marshman was fascinated by athleticism and expressiveness of classical Chinese dance.
“Just a very different style of dance altogether, especially the body positions,” she said. “Their center balance is amazing … very graceful.”
According to the company’s website, Shen Yun has preserved the true aesthetics of this classical dance system—the way it has been passed down from antiquity—and presents this authentic culture in its purest form.
With a mission to revive China’s 5,000-year-old traditional culture, Shen Yun says its performances demonstrate “China before communism.”
“When you forget who you are or forget where you come from, you can’t know where you’re going,” said Mrs. Marshman.
‘It Touches Your Soul’
Susan McCord-Neufeld, a director of activities for seniors in California, traveled to join her mom Janet Kobs for the Shen Yun performance at the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center in Arizona on Feb. 17.
Susan McCord-Neufeld and Janet Kobs at the Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, in Arizona, on Feb. 17, 2023. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times)
“One word sums it up, it’s spectacular,” said Mrs. McCord-Neufeld. “I have not seen this type of dance before and I was just mesmerized by the skill that is required!”
“There’s a spiritual undertone that touches your soul,” she added, “when you hear the music and see the dancing … there’s purity and ... a renewing—a rebirth of the soul!”
China was once known as “The Land of the Divine” and Shen Yun presents this culture by drawing upon the Middle Kingdom’s Buddhist and Daoist philosophies.
In the past, artists looked to the divine for inspiration and cultivated virtue in order to create uplifting art. Today, Shen Yun’s artists follow in this noble tradition, which is why audiences feel there is something different about Shen Yun, says the company’s website.
“It’s deep,” said Mrs. McCord-Neufeld, “whatever your spiritual belief is, there’s a renewing, a rebirth, of that spirituality.”
Commenting on Shen Yun’s virtuoso vocalists who sing Chinese lyrics using the bel canto style, Mrs. Neufeld said, “[the tenor] spoke of salvation at the end which was lovely … we all need that … so, I was very moved.”
Reporting by Mary Mann, Sherry Dong, and Jennifer Schneider.
