SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Entertainment With a Purpose’: Actor

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Shen Yun Is ‘Entertainment With a Purpose’: Actor
Stephen House and friend Lisa attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Festival Centre in Adelaide, Australia, on April 8, 2023. NTD

ADELAIDE, Australia—“Entertainment is incredible,” says actor and award-winning playwright Stephen House, “but I think entertainment with a purpose or a message actually turns it from silver to gold.”

That was what House said when he watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at Adelaide’s Festival Centre on Saturday afternoon with his friend Lisa.

“It allowed you to see the beauty of China, from centuries before. And this show was carrying—that history and that beauty—right to the forefront,” he said. “It was really wonderful to watch.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun will be touring Australia and New Zealand over the next month, as it continues its global tour to wow audiences with spirited dances that bring to life classic stories of love, loss, humor, and heroic deeds.
With a name meaning “the beauty of divine beings dancing” in Chinese, Shen Yun has been delighting audiences the world over with all-new productions every year since 2006.

Its performances weave a story of hope from the divinely inspired culture of China, with its 5,000-year history shaped by the philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

But the ideologies of atheist communism in modern China have resulted in much of this culture being suppressed and even destroyed. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive “China Before Communism.”

“You will be amazed by how vibrant, exciting, and profound classical Chinese culture can be,” Shen Yun says on its website.

House said he really appreciated how Shen Yun’s array of vignettes showcased Chinese traditions, amid some comedy as well.

“But there was something that I said from the beginning to my friend: I really liked the political edge.

“I thought the politics of the show and the story throughout—that kept referring to human rights—gave an extra edge to the show,“ he said. ”That was very special for me, actually.”

“I thought the tradition and the history was very important. So it was wonderful to be watching something that was so steeped in [history].”

Lisa said she found Shen Yun “captivating from start to finish.”

“Actually meaningful, isn’t it,” she added.

“The stories that were touching ... I like the touching on the compassion and the belief in their God.”

She also praised the live orchestra and erhu soloist.

“I thought it was astounding, absolutely astounding.”

In closing, House said Shen Yun is “a spectacular delight.”

Lisa added, “Pretty pleased we got tickets, and we'd recommend it for sure.

‘Like Flying on a Chinese Magic Carpet’

Loretta di Palma, violinist, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Festival Centre in Adelaide, Australia, on April 8, 2023. (Rachel Qu/The Epoch Times)
Loretta di Palma, violinist, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Festival Centre in Adelaide, Australia, on April 8, 2023. Rachel Qu/The Epoch Times

Classical violinist and teacher Loretta di Palma, who saw Shen Yun on Saturday afternoon, said “I feel like I’m flying through on a Chinese magic carpet.”

She said the “world-class” performance was absolutely exquisite.

“The choreographing, the timing, the technique—superb,” she said.

She added: “I was honored today to be a part of this vision that then came to fruition and that resonated [with] us here in Adelaide. Thank you.

“Anyone [who] values culture, being alive, and believing in the infinity, whatever that may be for that person, should definitely come and see.”

Reporting by NTD, Rachel Qu, and Melanie Sun.
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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