ORLANDO, Fla.—On April 28, company president Denise Smith and Dan Smith, a retired mechanic, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts’ second show at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The matinee was their first experience of Shen Yun and left a lasting impression.
“I was impressed,” Mr. Smith said as he exited the theatre. “I like the dancing, the costumes, the people, and the energy.”
“We commented on the [animation] quite a few times. It was very clever to be able to interact with your screen,” he said.
“I love that,” Mrs. Smith said. “That was so clever with the backdrops coming in and jumping in and out like that. That was very, very clever.”
For Ms. Smith, the most memorable element of the performance was Shen Yun’s mission to bring back traditional Chinese culture and spiritual values.
The message was one of “kindness. … Stay true to who you are and believe in your faith and don’t be swayed by what other people are trying to make you do,” she said.
“To me, it’s very important. People are going to tell me what I can and cannot believe in; it’s not their right to tell me what I can and cannot believe in.”
Before the Communist Party’s spread of atheism, Chinese people were deeply spiritual and believed in the divine. For thousands of years, their values and day-to-day actions were strictly governed by the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.
Reflecting on the modern-day story-based dance raising awareness about the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing persecution of the people of faith, Ms. Smith said, “I think it’s very important that people are aware of the situation. Not just in China, but every country that persecutes you for what you believe in.”
Ms. Smith will definitely recommend the performance to her friends and family. “Go for the dancing and the singing and the music, [and also] for the message that they’re giving,” she expressed. “They did an excellent job. I’m very proud of them all. They did a great job.”
“They did an excellent job. I was very impressed,” Mr. Smith added.
