New York-based Shen Yun brings classical Chinese dance and music to Barcelona in an effort to revitalize the divinely inspired Chinese civilization.
“It’s a marvelous performance, it’s a combination of colors, of harmony, of dance, of music, with such techniques. … It’s a performance to recommend,” said Josep Antoni Duran Lleida, lawyer and former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the House of Representatives of Spain. He thinks it is important to preserve traditional Chinese culture.
“For me, the added value of this performance is the connection with the culture, and then the technological innovations that the performance includes.
“If you forget your origins–specially today, in a globalized world–you stop being what you were, what you are, therefore, it’s strange that the Chinese people is not allowed to know some of the cultural fundamentals of their origins, of their traditions. To lose your tradition is to lose your identity.”
In 1949, the communist party seized power and sought to destroy traditional culture through a campaign that targeted “the four olds:” old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas.
“The spiritual element is part of Chinese culture–whether you like it or not–that’s a fact. Therefore, you can’t separate the Chinese identity from that aspect, one that shapes its own history and its own mindset.”
“It’s a shame that this show can be seen outside of China but not in China itself, because after all, it’s about refreshing some traditions, some culture of the Chinese people. I think it’s essential for any nation to not forget its own origins.”