SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is From the Heavens, Says Former Ballerina

Mar 07, 2024
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Shen Yun Is From the Heavens, Says Former Ballerina
Ai Van Tenty enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the Canberra Theatre, in Australia, on March 6, 2024. (NTD)

CANBERRA, Australia—Ai Van Tenty, a former ballerina from Vietnam, said destiny brought her to Shen Yun’s evening performance on March 6 at the Canberra Theatre.

“I love ballet, I love dance. I just came here with my parents for a holiday.  Today, when I was in the Canberra Center, I saw the placard from Shen Yun’s performance, and I said to my parents, ‘I have to go there,’” she said.

“This is so exciting. I’m so excited from the performance—a dancer understands. It’s amazing what they did. This is not [of this world,] this is something like in the heavens, in the sky. Excellent.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. The artists’ mission is to bring back China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule.

Prior to the regime’s spread of atheism, the teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism were indelible parts of Chinese life. Shen Yun’s goal is to share with everyone, the beauty of China before communism.

Ms. Tenty loved the authenticity and heart displayed by Shen Yun’s performers.

“There are the movements and technique, but it’s not only this. [The performance] has soul and something very human—they want to give love to everybody. They give something,” she expressed.

“Everybody will go home [from the performance] and they’ll say, ‘Oh, life is wonderful. Keep going.’ Of course, there is sometimes suffering in life, but we are humans in this world. [It’s wonderful] how, in Australia, I could see this. This is a gift from God or Buddha.”

She also felt a strong energy radiating from the performance that connected the performers and audience members.

“It’s like meditation in the audience with everybody sitting there. I watched not only the stage but also the people. It’s very interesting, this energy,” she added.

“[Shen Yun] has to be everywhere in the world—I would love to bring this performance to Vietnam if I can. The Vietnamese people have to see this. The children have to see it. There is so much love and energy there.”

If she could, Ms. Tenty would like to go directly onto the stage to give a huge thanks to all the dancers, choreographers, and composers for everything they did.

“I’ve been a Vietnamese overseas for almost 14 years. For me, dance connects everybody in the world. You’re not just Chinese or Vietnamese—we’re human. What’s [important] is for everybody to connect and share,” she said, reflecting on Shen Yun’s mission to share traditional Chinese culture with the world.

“I will share this with my friends. I will tell them this is an amazing performance, and you have to go to see it and spend your money on this,” Ms. Tenty added.

“I think it’s ok if somebody says it’s expensive, but not for me. I’m [willing to] spend because I think it’s really good. It’s not about money here—it’s about something higher.”

Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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