FRESNO, Calif.—Gary and Cathy Sibbett are fans of Shen Yun Performing Arts, having attended a performance of the renowned arts company three years in a row.
“And [we] expect years four and five,” Mr. Sibbett said at the William Saroyan Theatre the afternoon of Feb. 3.
The couple shared their favorite segments and details, from costumes they found particularly beautiful to humorous stories told through dance, and the unique East-West orchestra.
“I love it all, I love all, I’m speechless, it’s marvelous,” said Mrs. Sibbett.
Mr. Sibbett said he thought Shen Yun was fighting for the people of China, and “that’s awesome, I think it’s very bold.”
Mrs. Sibbett said that tradition and freedom represented by Shen Yun was “the way it should be.”
‘Gives Me Hope’
Also moved by Shen Yun’s mission was Orlando Perez, who said upon finally seeing Shen Yun in person, he wanted to attend again in the future.“I like the message,” he said. “Because it gives me hope that things can change and get better.”
Mr. Perez said he saw in Shen Yun a message of the divine, and it inspired him to learn more about traditional Chinese culture.
He said he was familiar with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism—philosophies in which China’s 5,000 years of civilization were rooted—but Shen Yun touched on much more.
“Here, there is more! There is something bigger. I want to find out more,” Mr. Perez explained.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice that teaches the three principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance. For upholding these traditional virtues and a belief in the divine, the Chinese Communist Party has sought to eradicate the practice since 1999.
In fact, Shen Yun was founded by artists from all around the world who came to America to seek freedom, including Falun Gong practitioners who fled persecution in China.
“The movement keeps going, and I very much admire that,” he said.
