SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘China Back in the Old Days,’ Declares Aboriginal Nonprofit Leader

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Shen Yun Is ‘China Back in the Old Days,’ Declares Aboriginal Nonprofit Leader
Keith Morgan, chairman of the Daargun Aboriginal Corporation, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2024. Julia Ye/The Epoch Times

CANBERRA, Australia—Shen Yun Performing Art’s mission to restore the authentic culture of China’s history “before communism” resonated with Keith Morgan, chairman of the nonprofit Daargun Aboriginal Corporation, who attended the performance at Canberra Theatre on March 5.

“I just enjoy it,” said Mr. Morgan, declaring, “This is China back in the old days.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Its performance presents a series of dance stories, classical Chinese dance pieces, ethnic and folk dances, as well as solo virtuosos who sing and play Chinese instruments, such as the two-stringed erhu.

“They’re all good. They’ve all got a good meaning to it,” Mr. Morgan said.

Mr. Morgan resonated with a dance story depicting the oppression of Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) in modern-day China under the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has sought to destroy all remnants of China’s divinely inspired culture since it took power in 1949.

According to Shen Yun, China was once known as the land of the divine by its people. However, some faith groups are seen as a threat to the regime’s atheistic ideology.

As an Aboriginal man, Mr. Morgan resonated with the oppression suffered by Falun Dafa practitioners in China and was impressed by Shen Yun telling this story through dance.

He referenced a dance story called “Crimes at the End of Days,” in which a brother regrets becoming a policeman for the regime after trying to protect his sister, a Falun Dafa practitioner.

He said the piece “demonstrated the battle that they go through,” referring to Falun Dafa adherents in China.

“Everyone’s got a battle in their life, and they’re demonstrating it through dance,” he added.

Mr. Morgan noted how the piece shows, through the brother’s ultimate actions, “that not everybody’s wrong or bad.”

The nonprofit chairman said he was inspired by Shen Yun and its message that traditional culture was bestowed by divine beings.

“Watching this dance performance inspires it a lot more, you know,” he said. “We didn’t hesitate to buy the tickets,” he added, referring to his wife, who attended with him.

“We’ve been here before and enjoyed it and we’re thoroughly enjoying it tonight,” he said, encouraging others to come along too.

“It’s really, really worth it,” Mr. Morgan added.

Mr. Morgan expressed his congratulations to Shen Yun’s dancers on a “job well done.”

“There’s a lot of talent out there and they’ve worked really, really hard ... to get it to where it is. It’s just beautiful,” he said.

Lhawang Gyalpo, the executive secretary of the Tibet Information Office in Canberra, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2024. (NTD)
Lhawang Gyalpo, the executive secretary of the Tibet Information Office in Canberra, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts in Canberra, Australia, on March 5, 2024. NTD

Tibetan Buddhist ‘Very Impressed’ by Shen Yun

Lhawang Gyalpo, the executive secretary of the Tibet Information Office in Canberra, praised Shen Yun on March 5.
“The performance is wonderful,” Mr. Gyalpo said, adding that it was his first time seeing Shen Yun. “All the performers are very talented, and they are very gymnastic. They are landing, flip, and overall very, very good and it was a very wonderful experience.”

As a Buddhist, Mr. Gyalpo was particularly struck by the message that kindness is rewarded in a dance story that depicts the oppression of Chinese people under the CCP.

“We are being a Buddhist; we believe in karma. And if you act for good cause, the action will be reverted back to you,” he said, adding that having a “kind heart is very important” and “good for the community.”

Mr. Gyalpo noted that Tibetan Buddhists also face oppression by the CCP. Expressing the importance of young people carrying on cultural traditions, he was “very impressed” to see Shen Yun’s young dancers on stage doing just that.

“Our culture, language, tradition all are diminishing under the Chinese Communist Party rule, and such this type of old tradition which are more than 1,000 years old should be observed and it should be preserved by the youngster,” he said.

Passing on traditional culture is important, Mr. Gyalpo said.

“The older generation people ... has to pass all those ancient, old traditions... to the younger children. And that’s very important, I think, and all the youngsters, performers are very young, and I love that,” he said.

Mr. Gyalpo enjoyed the Shen Yun orchestra, which performed live alongside the dancers. Shen Yun’s orchestra permanently combines classical Western and Chinese instruments to make a unique sound.

“I will definitely advise my friends and relatives to go and watch the Shen Yun,” Mr. Gyalpo said.

Reporting by NTD, Julie Ye, and Caden Pearson.
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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