VANCOUVER, Canada—Opera singer Kolia Nielsen and painter Hannah Sullivan experienced Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on the evening of March 23.
Ms. Sullivan was stunned. She thought the show was “beautiful, groundbreaking, and breathtaking.”
“I’m going to carry it with me for years to come—the lightness, the childlike joy, and just the magic of it all,” she expressed. “I’m so in awe from the show. [It was] pure, childlike magic.”
To the delight of its audience worldwide, the company can be expected to return with a brand-new program every year.
For Ms. Sullivan, true beauty and art are what make “you reflect about your own life while you’re watching it.”
She also loved all the historical legends that were presented in the performance. It inspired her to look up more information about Chinese history.
For five millennia, China filled its history with breathtaking legends and rich traditions rooted in spirituality. However, following the 1949 communist takeover, traditional Chinese culture went through a period of mass destruction.
Since Shen Yun’s establishment in 2006, these artists have made it their mission to revive this lost culture.
Referring to this element of the performance, Ms. Sullivan said, “[The show] just brought me back to God.”
“We feel God in our hearts as well as in our art. [Shen Yun] dancers are angels. They’re children of God,” she stated. “I feel glowing and light on my feet. I feel closer to God than ever before.”
She especially enjoyed the dancers’ finale piece depicting the Creator coming down from the heavens to save humanity in times of trouble.
“The stories that I’ve heard when I was a kid have now come to life right in front of me. It’s life-changing,” she said.
Mr. Nielsen couldn’t agree more.
“It’s fantastic. It’s better than anything I’ve ever been a part of. It was angelic and definitely brought me back to God. I’m an atheist opera singer, but I’m going to change my ways after tonight,” he said enthusiastically.
“I feel very compelled and powerful after leaving tonight. I feel humbled—the powerful display really spoke to me. It’s incredible,” he said.
“It’s awesome to watch. I was in awe the whole time because everybody was so impressive. Nobody was the lead that carried the show. Everybody was so engaged—working together to create such an amazing piece.”
“I think I’ll go home and create once again. I’m ready,” she said.
