NEW YORK CITY—On April 4, real estate company president Thomas McDonagh and clothing designer Jewel Torres attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ 11th performance at the David H. Koch Theater. They thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
“The mastery, the athleticism of the dancers, the performance is just beyond. It’s just so professional, so exceptional,” Mr. McDonah said during intermission. “Everybody here is excellent. It’s well done. The dancing, the [bilingual hosts,] everything.”
“Scenery [and] costumes are over the top. The stage and set design—impeccable.”
As one of the world’s oldest civilizations, China’s 5,000 years of history are rich with breathtaking legends and time-honored traditions. Yet within just a few decades of the Chinese communists’ rise to power, much of this magnificent culture was destroyed.
The spread of atheism rapidly undermined belief in the divine, and the cherished virtues drawn from Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were swept away.
Today, New York–based Shen Yun is working to revive this lost civilization and to bring back, through dance and music, the beauty of China before communism.
Reflecting on the artists’ commitment to raise awareness for the ongoing human rights issues in present-day China under communist rule, Mr. McDonagh said they are sharing an important message.
“It’s very powerful and necessary today to make the public aware of what’s going on in China,” he said.
“It’s very, very vital. … People need to be educated. A lot of people don’t understand. It’s well done, very well done.”
Ms. Torres, too, had a wonderful time.
“I love it. It’s incredible. It’s phenomenal. The music, it makes me feel like I’m flying on clouds of heaven, honestly,” she said. “I want to close my eyes and just enjoy. It brings me so much peace in my heart. I love it.”
“The colors are just Impeccable.”
As someone not very familiar with traditional Chinese culture, Ms. Torres appreciates that Shen Yun’s bilingual hosts took the time to explain each story before the curtain rose.
“I love it that they explain what’s going on in the show because sometimes when you go to see a performance, maybe you don’t know [and can] just appreciate the beauty,” she said.
“But when you understand the meaning behind it, it’s very powerful, it’s very impactful, and it makes me feel like I need to go to China.”
When asked what she would tell the people who haven’t seen Shen Yun yet, Ms. Torres said she would tell them: “It’s very beautiful.”
“They should come and see it for themselves. Sometimes words are not enough, sometimes you must see and hear with your own eyes and with your ears.”
