GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Award-winning filmmaker Douglas Corcoran, known for his work in “The Midwest Ice Age” and “Dragonfly,” attended Shen Yun’s performance at the Chester Fritz Auditorium on April 14. Accompanying him for the evening was his wife, Lorene Yoxtheimer, who is a physician.
“It’s colorful, it’s beautiful, it’s very nice,” Mr. Corcoran said.
“I’m really impressed with the animated background. I think that’s really nice how they’ve incorporated that. I haven’t seen that before, so it’s very impressive.”
“It’s frustrating to think that people are still living that way today,” Ms. Yoxtheimer noted. “[Shen Yun] is good because not only is it art, but it also demonstrates how, in some parts of the world, art is still being suppressed.”
Mr. Corcoran saw, through the performance, “the struggles that Chinese people are having between living their lives, their art, their truth and [their reality of] being held back or stopped [by the government.]”
“It celebrates beauty and the enjoyment of beauty around us. It’s like celebrating everyday life—sometimes we get so wrapped up in what we’re doing that we don’t stop to celebrate the flowers or even just passing inspection at restaurants,” she said, referring to Shen Yun’s story-based dance recounting the ins and outs of a little restaurant.
The couple will recommend Shen Yun to all their friends one hundred percent.
“I would say, ‘The show is going around the country, and you have to see it. The dancing is beautiful, and I think there’s a great message of beauty and hope,” Ms. Yoxtheimer said.
“I’ve been through some of those classes and I couldn’t handle it. I was in a play last year where I had a little bit of movement but that took enough out of me. So, to be able to do all of this on stage is absolutely impressive.”
