SAN FRANCISCO—Suzi Chasteen Longardino, a former competitive ice skater who has toured internationally with Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, and Ice Capades, was delighted by how inspiring and meaningful Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee was on New Year’s Eve.
The performance marked the company’s first of four consecutive shows at the War Memorial Opera House.
“It was a wonderful, wonderful message and a very spiritual one also,” Ms. Longardino said. “We really appreciate it. The education and the message was beautiful.”
According to the company’s website, the name ‘Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.”
Based in New York, the artists have made it their mission to bring back China’s divinely inspired civilization through dance and music, restoring it to its pre-communist glory.
Ms. Longardino especially enjoyed the cultural richness of the performance. She believes that “traditional Chinese culture is beautiful, and education [about] culture and tradition is very important.”
As an artist, she paid extra attention to Shen Yun’s dancers and was very impressed by what she saw.
“I truly appreciate the dance and the precision and the lines being straight and everybody doing all the moves exactly in time,” she expressed. “It was a beautiful production. Very professional. The dancers’ skill is wonderful—Olympic level.”
Shen Yun artists are masters of classical Chinese dance, an ancient and highly expressive art form dating back thousands of years. Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, Shen Yun preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through generations.
Reflecting on the spiritual aspect of the performance, particularly the story-dance depicting the Creator descending from heaven to rescue humanity from calamity, Ms. Longardino responded emphatically: “I believe in this.”
“The spiritual message was beautiful,” she said. “The message I got from this program was that it was more than just a show.”
“It showed us how to look for the good, to try to be good to one another, to thank the Creator for all things, and to kneel down in front of the Creator who made it all possible.”
Finally, Ms. Longardino would like to commend Shen Yun’s performers for their dedication and encourage them to “keep up the great work.” “It is very much appreciated,” she added.
