VANCOUVER, Canada—When the pandemic halted border crossings three years ago, Derek and Ellen Aitchison lost an opportunity to see Shen Yun Performing Arts. Three years later, the couple drove six hours to finally get to see
Shen Yun.
“We had it booked in Spokane, Washington, three years ago. We couldn’t get over the border to see it,” Mrs. Aitchison said.
Shen Yun, based in New York, is dedicated to presenting to audiences the beauty and wonder of
China before communism. Mr. Aitchison shared his understanding of what the Chinese Communist Party (
CCP) really is.
“We know that CCP is just a criminal entity that’s sort of taken over. It’s not really representative of the Chinese people,” he said.
Since 2006,
Shen Yun has been exposing the crimes of the CCP using beautiful dance and music. Mr. Aitchison expressed his appreciation for Shen Yun’s work, especially since some Canadian officials have been showing acclimation toward the CCP.
“I think the Canadian government ... is kind of cozying up to [communism] and saying how good they were during the lockdowns [and] how much he admires their use of force. But if you do art, you can show [
the truth of] what’s going on there. You can bring the message to a lot of people,” said Mr. Aitchison.
One of the biggest crimes that the CCP has committed to date is the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. In a story-based dance this season, Shen Yun exposes the CCP’s crime of harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners, a horror that is still ongoing.
“The world is changing. The world will change. We all keep it in our thoughts. And I know [when] people think of something, it can happen. So we’re thinking of freedom for all of
Falun Gong, for freedom for anyone who is kind and good and wants the best for their neighbor, too,” Mrs. Aitchison said.
“We totally support your dedication to Falun Gong and freedom for people in China and everywhere. We really appreciate it,” added Mr. Aitchison.
The couple also marveled at the ability of Shen Yun’s dancers. The artists are trained in
classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“I used to teach fitness classes, so when I see them move, I think, wow, that’s amazing. ... I just loved seeing how they could move and manage their bodies. It was astonishing,” Mrs. Aitchison said.
Reporting by Yeawen Hung and Maria Han.
