MISSISSAUGA, Canada—Mathew Frederick is learning to speak Chinese and knows there’s a lot more to Chinese culture than what can be found in China today. On March 23, he felt the “pureness” and depth of 5,000 years of civilization in Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I was very amazed. And it’s not my culture, but I’ve learned to love the culture,” he said after seeing the performance at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.
“I think it brought everybody to a higher level. We walked in here a certain way. We all left larger,” said Mr. Frederick, a real estate developer with over 39 years in the industry. He is also a real estate investment educator.
“Sometimes you sit with somebody, and their negativity shrinks you. And when you walk away, you feel smaller than how you came. I think today everybody was larger than they came,” he noted.
“I think everybody will remember what they saw, and they will come back again. So I think we are better than we were after we’ve left here today.”New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, with a mission to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Its tagline, “China before communism,” refers to the five millennia of divinely inspired culture and continuous history in place before communism took power in 1949 and sought to replace traditional culture with one of struggle.
Mr. Frederick said he loved what Shen Yun had accomplished, because many people don’t know that China isn’t only about atheism.
Story of Humanity
The stories that stood out to him the most were about faith and truth, he explained, describing one story-based dance in which a person of faith extended a hand to one who had persecuted him.Sadly, due to its incredible popularity in China in the 1990s, the Chinese Communist Party put out official orders to “eradicate” the practice.
Adherents have since faced violent persecution that has been described as a crime against humanity.
Mr. Frederick told part of the story where the persecutor “fell, he got hurt, and the practitioner went to save him.”
“He still struck the practitioner, but at the same time, the practitioner still went to help him,” Mr. Frederick continued.
“And then he was revived. He understood that there’s a humanity to certain things.”
Mr. Frederick said he “felt the pureness, but even when they brought the message [of persecution], ... it was beautiful, it was non-aggressive, it came right to the point.”
Every vignette in the performance conveyed something positive and profound, Mr. Frederick said, describing comedic pieces, love stories, historical tales, music solos, and many others.
“It was a very enlightening experience. It was a positive note. It was a story of hope,” he said. “I thought it was just really amazing.”
Ambassadors of Culture
Mr. Frederick said he was amazed not only by the performers but also by the dedication and scale of Shen Yun and as its sense of mission.“I find that all the dancers, it’s almost like they came down to dance. They have a purpose. They came down, and all the efforts that they put in, that in itself is very divine. I think it touches many lives.”To the artists, he wanted to say, “You move my heart.” Mr. Frederick plans to return next year and bring his daughter.
“I think this is something that teenagers should see,” he said. “And I'll have a year to explain some of the things that you do. But I just want to say thank you for the excellence. Thank you for the accuracy. Thank you for your dedication, your devotion.”
“The music is amazing. And to all the musicians, you know, I'd love to say thank you so much for your art, because your art blesses the world.”With reporting by Teng Dongyu.
