NEWARK, N.J.—Psychologist Alexander Franchino, who owns a private practice, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on April 29.
“I’m so glad that we came. The athleticism and the discipline of these dancers are unbelievable. I couldn’t believe how in sync they were with the whole ensemble,” he said.
“Years and years of training, has just unbelievable how much these young people train to get to such perfection. The skill is unbelievable. The synchronization, the muscle tone, the dance moves, the interpretation of the story is just like I’ve never seen before.”
According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance seen in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern styles. Only at Shen Yun can the audience experience it in its purest form, preserved as it was passed down through generations.
“I was able to follow the interpretation of the dance,” he shared. “It was excellently done.”
As atheism spread, belief in the divine was suppressed, and the moral values passed down through Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism were pushed aside. Today, Shen Yun seeks to revive this lost heritage and bring back the beauty of pre-communist China through classical Chinese dance and music.
“At the end [of the story there was] the Buddha and the people were praying before that, it was very heartwarming.”
He also loved the opening piece, in which celestial beings follow the Creator to Earth to establish traditional culture for humanity. “It was very, very uplifting to see that,” he added. The show “is a way [for] individuals to evoke your own feelings.”
The message he will carry home from Shen Yun is one of “hope for the future.” “It’s uplifting and joyful,” Mr. Franchino stated.
