TUCSON, Ariz.—Rodney Housley, visual and performing artist as well as a magician, and his wife Kim, a teacher, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson for the first time on Feb. 11.
As this was the first time at a
Shen Yun performance, Mr. Housley had good things to say. “Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. The Tibetan dance, with the ribbons, is wonderful. So much fun.”
Mrs. Housley loved the
storytelling. “I’m a teacher and I enjoy seeing the metaphors and analogy that they’re portraying through their dance and the history behind the storytelling,” she said. “The last story about the persecution from the parents and the daughter was really strong. I feel sad, actually, and disheartened a little bit that it’s still happening.”
Mr. Housley was deeply moved by the fact that live organ harvesting is happening today in China. “I mean, it definitely pulls on my heartstrings.”
New York-based
Shen Yun Performing Arts was
founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of China’s ruling communist party. Following the regime’s violent takeover of China in 1949, the country’s traditional culture underwent a period of mass destruction.
Today, Shen Yun’s performances aim to
share with audiences the “beauty and goodness of China before communism.” This includes use of classical Chinese dance to show 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, as well as the traditional culture that still lives on in the hearts of Chinese people today, despite the communist regime’s persecution of such people of faith.
Mr. Housley took note of the spiritual quality of traditional Chinese culture. “The draw for people to find that inner peace through meditation or any form of enlightenment, I think no power should try to take that away from people. They should have that ability to find peace within themselves. It was very wonderful.”
Mr. Housley appreciated the artistry of the production.
“It’s amazing: the projection, imaging, and working with that, and the storytelling, [how a character] uses silk to represent his wife and gives it to the soldier to go get her. All very
theatrical. It plays very well with the
dance. The way that they’re able to show so much emotion with dance is fascinating,” Mr. Housley said.
Mr. and Mrs. Housley both would encourage others to see the show. “They have to see the show,” Mr. Housley said. “Yes, come see it. Bring everyone.”
“I love the grand piano. I love that [the director] put that in the show because I am also a pianist and I love that part about it. So awesome,” Mrs. Housley said. “Yes, I would invite everybody. Any age would enjoy the
show.”
Mr, Housley had encouraging words for Shen Yun: “Oh, keep doing it. That’s awesome.”
Reporting by Lily Yu and Yvonne Marcotte.
