SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Mrs. Utah America Finds Messages of ‘Hope and Peace’ in Shen Yun

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Mrs. Utah America Finds Messages of ‘Hope and Peace’ in Shen Yun
Mrs. Utah America 2015 and dance teacher Natalie Murray and husband Lance Murray watch Shen Yun Performing Arts at George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah on Feb. 24, 2023. Mary Mann/The Epoch Times

SALT LAKE CITY—Former Mrs. Utah America and dance teacher Natalie Murray was awestruck by the athleticism and skillset that was shown by Shen Yun’s classically trained dancers—but what she took away most was Shen Yun’s message.

“[Shen Yun is] trying to tell the story of where China is right now,” Mrs. Murray said after watching Shen Yun at George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater with husband and business owner Lance Murray on Feb. 24.

“I felt like it’s really trying to fight for the freedom of the people of China, even though they’re not here.

“That’s what I’m getting from it, is freedom, independence, hope and peace from everything.”

Ancient China was once known as “The Land of the Divine,” where it was believed that China’s traditional culture was brought down from the heavens. This was reflected in music, medicine, calligraphy, clothing, language, and much more.

But this glorious culture was almost lost under communism.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000-year-old culture through a series of story-based vignettes.

“I don’t know much about Chinese culture. But it feels like it’s really bringing that into the story and telling us what it is all about. And I just love it. I think it’s awesome,” Mrs. Murray, who won Mrs. Utah America in 2015, said.

Mrs. Murray was particularly drawn to Shen Yun’s depiction of modern China and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

“It makes me sad for the people who are experiencing that. And I know we have some of that stuff here, but not quite in the same way here in the United States.”

Under the CCP, followers of Falun Gong are unable to practice their faith freely. Outside of China, not only can practitioners practice their faith freely, but they also have an environment and the creative freedom to use classical Chinese dance to showcase the best of traditional Chinese culture.

“The people behind it are really trained to fight for the freedom of people in China. It is really cool that they are still training to keep that traditions and their culture alive,” Mrs. Murray said.

Meanwhile, husband Lance Murray echoed Mrs. Murray’s sentiments.

“There is a peacefulness to it and a message of unity in hope,” Mr. Murray said.

Mrs. Murray added: “I love the culture … I love their technique and costuming and just everything. The discipline that takes to do that is amazing.
“It’s amazing to me, being a dancer myself. I see some of the stuff they’re doing and I’m like, ‘man, that would just wear me out and make me exhausted.’ But I love it. It’s awesome. You can tell that they worked really, really hard to get to where they’re at.”
Reporting by Mary Mann, NTD, and Henry Jom.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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