Peter and Connie Berg enjoyed Shen Yun at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, Illinois, on the afternoon of March 16, 2024. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times)
ROSEMONT, Ill.—Peter and Connie Berg thought Shen Yun Performing Arts was a powerful commentary on China both past and present.
“It’s amazing, it’s incredible ... it was beautiful, inspiring,” said Mr. Berg, a vice president in the health and life sciences industry. “It’s five stars.”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company and has a mission to use music and dance to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. In recent years, it’s come to be described as “China before communism.”
Mr. Berg said that although “clearly there are bad things happening in China,” which he felt Shen Yun was brave in touching on, the performance was not a “grim” one even if it delivered a “difficult message.”
Mrs. Berg agreed, adding that “you can see the joy on each of the dancers’ faces.”
“Their faces are filled with joy when they’re dancing,” she said, with Mr. Berg agreeing.
“Communism ... is not much of China’s history. Most of China’s history is this,“ Mr. Berg said. ”Well, I think it’s a better version of China.”
“For me, this is people that are persevering under very difficult circumstances. They obviously have a strong faith life. I do, too, and it matters, definitely matters,” Mr. Berg said. He wanted to commend the artists and share a few words of encouragement: “Keep going. Don’t stop. We love you.”
Also inspired by the performance that afternoon at the Rosemont Theatre were the Chemaskos, who were seeing Shen Yun for the first time.
Brian Chemasko, now retired, said he hadn’t known what to expect, but he could not have imagined the beautiful experience himself.
“It’s beautiful,” he said.
Marion and Brian Chemasko at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, Illinois, on the afternoon of March 16, 2024. (Sherry Dong/The Epoch Times)
Marion Chemasko, a human resources director, agreed with her husband and praised the artistry and talent she saw on stage.
“They’re incredible, right? They’re incredible. Just really talented,” she said. “It’s just beautiful ... the men are incredible, they’re really wonderful, and the women are so beautiful, they’re just so elegant.”
Mrs. Chemasko said the experience had been inspirational to her on many levels, but in a way that was difficult to put into words.
“There’s kind of a strength and a gentleness to it,” she added. “It shows resilience ... and commitment. It’s really wonderful.”
