MESA, Ariz.—State Rep. David Cook, chair of the international trade committee of Arizona’s House of Representatives, attended Shen Yun’s third and final performance on Feb. 8, at the Mesa Arts Center. He was accompanied by his wife Diana.
The couple thought the experience was amazing.
Through classical Chinese, folk, ethnic, and story-based dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun is showcasing to the world—the glory of China before communism.
Referring to the artists’ mission to bring back traditional culture, Mr. Cook said that’s what brought him to the show.
“That’s why I’m here tonight—to accept the cultural experience and try to bridge that gap between the problems with the Chinese government and the American government,” he said.
“I would really like to get our international trade committee to the Democrats and Republicans, and I’m going to see if I can get them to attend the next performance.”
Also in the audience was Averroes Paracha, who works in insurance. He, too, thought the performance was “absolutely fantastic.”
“I liked the idea that with every [flip and technique] that the body does, there was a moral story to it as well. You could follow the story. Even in the ancient times, among the Greeks, when they had their theater, it was not purely for the purpose of entertainment. It was there for education.”
“I had been wanting to watch this for a long time. The performance is amazing. I appreciated the message as well,” he said.
For its 2024 touring season, Shen Yun’s eight equally-sized companies will be performing in over 200 cities across five continents.
Every year, the company can be expected to return with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions.
“We live in a hyper-material world. We’re all like that to one degree or the other. I think some of us choose to participate—voluntary sinners—and some of it is from ignorance. So, it’s nice to actually have a refreshing message,” Mr. Paracha added.
