Pauline Garande had been hoping to see Shen Yun for years, but had never been able to get a ticket. As the manager of a major hotel in Lyon, she was delighted to finally immerse herself in 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture with Shen Yun.
“It’s a wonderful cultural experience that beautifully showcases Chinese civilization! As a lover of classical dance, I’ve been able to pass that passion on to my daughter,” Ms. Garande said.
“The caliber of the performers is simply exceptional,” she said. “You can see that it’s all in the details: the quality of the performers, the level—it’s just wow!”
Unfortunately, as soon as it came to power in 1949, the Chinese communist regime sought to destroy this rich culture in order, among other things, to impose its communist “single-minded ideology.”
Ms. Garande praised Shen Yun’s mission: “It’s very bold. And once again, it’s important to pass on this legacy—we’re truly on a mission to do just that.”
Through its dance and song performances, Shen Yun also conveys traditional and universal values such as courage, loyalty, kindness, and perseverance.
Ms. Garande was moved by this, noting “kindness and compassion” and “many things that come from the heart, a sense of inner peace.”
Anne-Marie and Jacques Pontin were also at Amphitheater 3000. A former sales representative and physical therapist, the couple came to see Shen Yun for the second time with friends.
Mr. Pontin was impressed by the precision of the movements, as well as by “all the stage effects involving the screen,” and he particularly praised the dance sequence featuring the peacocks: “It’s wonderful to see them arrive—it’s magical!”
“It’s fantastic to see the characters step off the screen and then back onto it again: it’s magical; it feels like we’re living in a fairy tale. Even at our age, we still love fairy tales,” added Mrs. Pontin.
Mr. Pontin enjoyed the orchestra’s unique sound, which blends a Western symphony orchestra with Eastern instruments such as the gong, the erhu, and the pipa.
“A live orchestra is extraordinary because it’s rare these days,” he said.
For Mrs. Pontin, the performance offered “reminders of wisdom” while showcasing “a side of China we don’t usually see.”
“Right now, we have an image of China that isn’t very pleasant,“ she said. ”But this show takes us back in time with messages of peace and wisdom. I think it’s absolutely beautiful.”
The physical therapist made a point of praising the courage of the artists and the company “because they are trying to go against the grain of everything happening in China, to prove that it is possible to live differently. This might open up possibilities for others to, why not, experience that difference and then help free everyone’s minds a little.”
For Mrs. Pontin, Shen Yun serves as a reminder to “behave well on Earth if we ever hope to return to our true home. I always say that I am a child of heaven and earth, but my true home is in heaven. We are merely passing through.”
For the couple, Shen Yun conveys important messages: “We believe that, indeed, there are people in the world who, since the dawn of time, have come to bring us messages. We are Catholic, so we also think of Christ. But there are wonderful people who have come to deliver these messages. We must be able to listen to them and cultivate inner peace in order to hear them.”
