HIGH WYCOMBE, UK—Shen Yun Performing Arts showcased “China before communism” with the audience at Wycombe Swan Theatre on Feb. 21.
Mayor of High Wycombe, Councillor Majid Hussain, was in attendance and said Shen Yun gave him a lot of insight into what has been happening in China, and he absolutely loved the performance.
Learning For All Generations
Retired accountant Karim Shariff attended the Feb. 21 performance with his wife and granddaughters, and they loved the stories.“It was spectacular, amazing,” Mr. Shariff said. “My granddaughters said they enjoyed everything. It was spectacular, colorful. Excellent storylines. They learned a lot about Chinese history, so thank you.”
He said Chinese culture “is phenomenal. There is so much to learn, so much to take [in].”
According to China’s myths and legends, Chinese culture was directly passed down from the heavens as a gift to humanity, and the stories from the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization carry spiritual insights.
These stories touched Mr. Shariff. “The way the show ended with everybody accepting God as the supreme being—that was magical,” he said.
Shen Yun’s mission is to revive “China before communism” and celebrate the culture’s traditional values.
Mr. Shariff said, “Diversity appears in all traditions and cultures, and obviously, China has an immense, diverse community and tradition. It was good to experience it.”
Mr. Shariff appreciated New York-based Shen Yun’s storytelling through dance. “They delivered,” he said. “The expressions and the storylines say everything—how they feel, what they want to do, and how they do it.”
Shen Yun also features a live orchestra with a combination of Eastern and Western instruments, and soloist performances.
Mr. Shariff said he felt emotional listening to a soloist play the two-stringed erhu. “There were a multitude of emotions going,” he said.
To the performers, Mr. Shariff expressed his appreciation: “One word covers it all: amazing!”
Dennis and Rachel Canning attended Shen Yun on Feb. 21 with their daughter and enjoyed the colors, the choreography, as well as the spiritual values presented on stage.
Mrs. Canning, an assistant manager at a golf club, said, “It was absolutely fantastic, amazing. Everyone was just in sync with each other. It was lovely, beautiful.”
Mr. Canning, who is semi-retired and drives a minibus, said he liked how Shen Yun’s patented digital backdrop interacts with the performers as they jump magically in and out of the screen.
“I just love the graphics [as the performers] jump down on the screen. Amazing scenery and dancing, of course,” he said.
Mrs. Canning added, “The performers were absolutely fantastic. The energy that they’ve got: they’re so supple in how they move, and their bodies can bend and everything. The orchestra as well is great. It was all brilliant, absolutely brilliant.”
“I’m just amazed,” Mr. Canning said. “It’s all spot on.”
