TORONTO—Conservative member of Parliament Anna Roberts attended Shen Yun’s evening performance at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on April 4. And during her visit, she presented an award to the company to commend the artists for their extraordinary cultural contribution.
Since its founding in 2006, the performing arts company has grown to become a global sensation. Eight equally sized touring companies are set this year to perform in over 200 cities worldwide, including nine cities across Canada.
For Ms. Roberts, Shen Yun shares with all of Canada a story of “the struggles and the sacrifices that the Chinese people have made.”
“It also shows us that there is hope at the end of the day. I think anyone who watches the show will come away with that satisfaction. Absolutely beautiful,” she said.
“I wish I had [their] ability because they’re absolutely spectacular. The whole performance—the acrobats, the dance, the music—it’s something that lifts the soul. I think that’s what we need today. We need to bring that hope back to Canada.”
Also in the audience was Liberal member of Ontario provincial parliament Andrea Hazell. She, too, was enthralled by the beauty of the show.
“I’m blown away. Usually I’m not speechless, but I am speechless today. It’s everything that you hear about the show, everything that you’ve seen in the advertising. But when you’re here—oh my goodness, it’s something that the entire Canada should come out and look at because it’s mesmerizing,” she exclaimed.
“The pieces that I’ve seen—it’s like dreams coming true—love, passion, peace, and hope for a better future. But what [I] love most is the culture—the beauty and the costumes just bring everything alive together from beginning to end. So, how can I not be here to support [that] vision, to support the culture’s sustainability? I think that’s really important tonight.”
In the decades since the Chinese Communist Party came to power, these beliefs have been all but completely destroyed.
Ms. Hazell is very supportive of the artists’ mission to revive and keep these traditions alive.
“[Shen Yun] is going to motivate a lot of young people to want to keep that culture alive. ... We need cultures to keep alive,” she said.
