“This is the first time I’ve seen a show like this, and I thought it was very entertaining, very exhilarating,” said Mr. Stinson.
“The dance routines were very energetic, acrobatic. The singing was great, you know. The narration was very, very good, very on time. It gave you a better understanding. So, overall, I thought they did a fantastic job. I would like to see it again.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 and is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception, it has rapidly grown to eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously. The mission of Shen Yun is to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty and goodness of China before communism.
Ms. Cousins said that she found the performance so exciting that she was kept on the edge of her seat.
“The reason I like it is because it’s very dramatic,” she said. “It’s theatrical, very captivating, mesmerizing.”
“The singing was beautiful,” said Ms. Cousins.
Speaking of the value he saw in Shen Yun, Mr. Stinson said, “I think it has a cultural value for everyone to appreciate different cultures and to understand that talent is worldwide. It does not belong to any one particular nation or gender or race.”
“What it offered to me was relaxation and a chance to see other cultures. Also, because of the situations that have been going around in the world, [such as] COVID and other things, I haven’t really come out, so this gave me a chance to get out and get back into the swing of things.”
“I thought the essence of the show was to help you understand the culture and the talent of China before it was suppressed by the government that’s in there now,” he said. “So it gave you a chance to see the culture and experience some of their lifestyle.”
“The common values [are ones] that everyone can appreciate because we all have experienced some of the things that they were dancing to and singing to. Everyone has experienced those things.”
