MINNEAPOLIS—“It does touch your soul—there’s no doubt about it,” said Julie Parvis after watching Shen Yun Performing Arts. “It was breathtaking, and I started crying,” she said.
New York-based Shen Yun’s mission is to revitalize 5,000 years of divinely inspired Chinese culture through its arts and values.
“Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends, and modern heroic tales,” according to the company’s website.
“It’s phenomenal. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Ms. Parvis, vice president of marketing for Embrace Publications & Consulting. She attended the performance at the Orpheum Theatre on Feb. 15.
Each dance is illuminated with visual elements such as the digitally animated backdrop behind the dancers, which brings the settings to life, as well as scores of elaborate, handmade costumes.
“It’s just so beautiful,” said Ms. Parvis. “It’s colorful, and the people are beautiful, and then the dances are beautiful. And the background—using the technology is incredible in that particular way. I’ve never seen anything like that. I thought it was just fabulous.”
“All the different parts coming together is so beautiful, and it speaks to all your senses—with the sights and the sounds—and the beauty of the people, and the fabrics, and everything,” she said. “It’s just gorgeous. I just love it.”
“It’s very peaceful, and relaxing, and beautiful,” she added. “Harmony. Harmony and peace.”
People in China today cannot see Shen Yun perform. The values and traditions that Shen Yun promotes have been all but lost under communist rule, according to the company’s website.
“It’s such a shame that they can’t see it in China. I mean, it’s just mind boggling to me that they’re not allowed to perform or enjoy it, or practice it,” said Ms. Parvis, hesitating because she thought she might cry again.
Ms. Parvis will definitely attend the performance again in the future.
“You’re learning about a whole new culture and experience that we don’t have often the opportunity to experience,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this. I would definitely come every year from now on. It’s so touching and beautiful.”
“I didn’t know what to expect, and it’s way beyond what I thought it would be,” she concluded.
Reporting by Shelly Dong and Sharon Kilarski
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
