NEW ORLEANS—Alexandra Stafford, board member of a local history museum in New Orleans, was glad to see the culturally-rich performance presented by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Saenger Theatre, Feb. 18.
Ms. Stafford recently travelled to China, but she said there was no way to see any performance like Shen Yun in China.
“I was able to see lots of lovely museums. But when it came to performance, it was all acrobatics; it was all circus, but nothing like this,” Ms. Stafford said.
Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded by a group of leading classical Chinese artists whose aim was to revive China’s divinely inspired culture.
“Sophisticated dance techniques, an orchestra joining instruments from both the East and West, beautiful costumes, and a stunning back drop—this is Shen Yun at first glance,” reads the Shen Yun website.
“But digging deeper, one discovers a sea of traditional Chinese culture. Mortals and divine beings merge on stage as one. Principles such as benevolence and justice, propriety and wisdom, respect for the heavens, and divine retribution, all come to life, washing over the audience.”
Ms. Stafford said, “I think it’s wonderful because [Shen Yun is] introducing to Americans a side of China that they will not see in China.”
According to Shen Yun, the Chinese Communist Party “has for decades launched various campaigns—most notably the Cultural Revolution—to destroy not only cultural sites, temples, and relics, but also the Chinese people’s belief in virtue and faith in the divine.” Shen Yun currently is not allowed to perform in China.
Ms. Stafford wasn’t alone in enjoying Shen Yun; her 12-year-old son also enjoyed the performance, she said, finding all the jumps and flips of classical Chinese dance amusing.
Ms. Stafford added that the performance was very colorful, and she praised the precision of the dance movements.
“I’m enjoying it. I think it’s very youthful, beautifully performed,” Ms. Stafford said.
“I mean everyone jumps perfectly in sync. I mean they all go up together and down together; it’s really amazing.”
With reporting by NTD Television
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
