HAMILTON, Canada—Scott Bradford, the director of communications for a pharmaceutical company, and his wife Kelly came to see the final performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts in Hamilton on April 12.
“It was beautifully done. I especially loved some of the female dance numbers,” said Mrs. Bradford, a bank teller.
“It was a really interesting, colorful way to describe a culture that’s been around for thousands of years, which is pretty rare,” said Mr. Bradford.
“Congratulations. They’re great dancers. It’s kind of like ballet but a little bit more athletic. I think it was interesting,” said Mr. Bradford.
“I didn’t realize there would be the stories. I just expected dance. So I thought that was a nice surprise,” he said.
“The stories were interesting as well. The combination of the video with the live dance was a really unique way to present the stories. So I thought that was well done,” said Mrs. Bradford.
“That’s very complicated. I appreciate the message and the struggle that the organizers of Shen Yun are having. And I noticed that some of the dancers are from China, but I think it’s very brave, what they’re doing,” said Mr. Bradford.
He elaborated on his understanding of the control that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has around the world.
“I know that the Chinese government has a long reach across the world, and so I don’t know if they’re [the performers are] at any risk of anything, but I appreciate that they’re trying to get a message out there,” he said.
“It’s not offensive, but it’s bold. ... [It was] a message that’s done in a peaceful way—fairly subtly, but enough that you can get the message,” she said.
