SALT LAKE CITY—Art director Isaac Stewart has always had an eye for beauty. So, when he and Cara Stewart, who works in book publishing, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater on March 17, he knew he was in for a treat.
“I love it when they jumped and [in] the water[sleeves] dance where they would grab the sleeves and let them go. The music is gorgeous, the costumes are gorgeous.”
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 special effects are really fun,” he said. “The interaction between the screen and the dancers—it’s gone from really from fun, almost silly topics, like comedy topics, to very serious topics. So, it’s been fun to have that range of emotions.”
Although Shen Yun has met with widespread acclaim since its establishment, due to the artists’ commitment to raise awareness for the ongoing human rights issues in present-day China, they are banned from performing there.
Mr. Stewart deeply appreciated the artists’ dedication and efforts.
“I enjoyed the emotion behind that because it really made you feel for what other people are going through,” he shared. “I think it’s very brave of [the performers] to bring light to that subject, because it needs to be talked about.”
“We shouldn’t lose any cultures—they’re all important,” he added. “Chinese culture is 5,000 years old, maybe older, and an eighth of the world’s population is Chinese. I think it’s important not only for the Chinese people to keep this cultural heritage alive, but for the whole world.”
Ms. Stewart also shared her enthusiasm.
“I love it. It’s just beautiful to watch,” she said. “Beautiful to watch, beautiful to feel. I’ve always wanted to go to this show, and so I’m super excited that I finally got to see it. Very fun.”
“I love that this group is doing their best to preserve those stories and preserve the different cultures, and I’ve always found the Chinese culture fascinating and beautiful and very deep. It’s fun to watch them be shared so beautifully.”
“I’m thinking about how much choreography goes [on] behind the scenes too—not just on the stage,” he said. “There’s got to be a whole crew out there—the unsung heroes. It’s really great. Great work, fantastic work. Here’s to another 20 years.”
