LONG BEACH, Calif.—“The show is amazing. I’m so proud to have the show here in its inaugural year here at the city of Long Beach,” said Vice Mayor of Long Beach Suja Lowenthal, welcoming Shen Yun Performing Arts to the Terrace Theater on Feb. 8.
Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving China’s 5,000 years of culture, using dance and music to tell the stories and legends of the Middle Kingdom’s rich past.
“The dancing is amazing,” said Ms. Lowenthal, “I appreciate that it’s going from region to region, so it’s a little bit of a history lesson.”
The Shen Yun website explains some background on the styles of dance used in the performance: “Shen Yun Performing Arts’ dance style is built upon classical Chinese dance as a foundation, while also maintaining a number of ethnic and folk dances. This combination embodies Chinese people’s aestheticism and ethnic character.”
The mission of reviving China’s culture resonated with Ms. Lowenthal. “I’m from India so I feel I’m from an ancient culture as well, and it’s so relevant today. The lessons and the impressions we’re seeing through dance and through this artistic form, it is relevant today.”
She was also touched by some pieces about Falun Dafa, a meditation practice that has been persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999.
“I think the story of Falun Dafa is very touching and inspirational,” she said. “To see it in dance form and in artistic form, I think it’s a way to understand the pain of that history and the current situation but also appreciate it through culture.”
“I was little surprised by that, but I’m also comforted by that,” she said, referring to the piece, “I’m really impressed and surprised by how bold it is.”
‘A Great Experience
Also in the audience was Chris Wangsaporn, chief of staff for Ling-Ling Chang, representative of the 55th district for the California State Assembly.
“The show is great,” said Mr. Wangsaporn, “great talent out there.”
He said he enjoyed all the aspects of the show, “The production is great. The acoustics are great, choreography is great. It’s just a well put together show.”
“The tradition of the 5,000 years of civilization, the whole story, and everything in the performance is a great experience,” he said, concluding his thoughts on the performance.
With reporting by Mandy Huang, Michael Ye, and Ben Bendig
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reaction since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006
