OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.—Shen Yun Performing Arts gave Adelaide Webb a real sense of connection to Chinese culture despite her not knowing much about China’s 5,00o years of civilization, which Shen Yun brings to life for audiences around the world in its performances.
Attending New York-based Shen Yun with her husband Tyler Webb, Mrs. Webb expressed that although traditional Chinese culture and spirituality are still relatively foreign to many Americans, she and her husband found Shen Yun carried universal messages in its stories that all can appreciate, transcending any differences in culture or belief.
“It pulled me in. I felt like I was really understanding what was happening ... [I] really felt a sense of connection and belonging to what was happening. It was really palpable,” said Mrs. Webb, who is a director of research.
Mr. Webb, a director of sales, said he also felt Shen Yun carried something for everyone, and that it reminded him of the depth of other cultures around the world.
“I got that there’s 5,000 years of Chinese culture that we know of and it’s beyond where the country is today; it goes so much further. The Chinese culture [is] not just the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
Shen Yun strives to give audiences an experience of China’s splendor before communism took over and destroyed much of the tradition and culture of the people.
Mrs. Webb agreed with her husband.
“America ... we think that we are the best, and we are the only thing that’s happening, and there’s nothing greater that could have happened before America officially started,” she said.
“I think one of the most beautiful things about this [performance] is that it shows that there’s so much more—culture, arts, beauty, and history. When we think of the grand scheme of things, there’s so much [more] than just us in this country at this time.”
Reporting by Sonia Wu and Maria Han.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
