SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘Fantastic… We’re Coming Back to for Sure,’ Says History Professor

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Shen Yun Is ‘Fantastic… We’re Coming Back to for Sure,’ Says History Professor
Chris and Laura Booker enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the First Interstate Center for the Arts on March 9, 2024. Mary Zhang/The Epoch Times
SPOKANE, Wash.—On March 9, history professor Chris Booker and his wife Laura, a registered nurse, enjoyed Shen Yun’s evening performance at the First Interstate Center for the Arts.

This marked the second of the company’s three performances at Spokane. The couple thought it was an “absolutely beautiful” experience.

“It was amazing. That’s the first time we’ve seen it. We’ve been looking forward to it. It was great,” Mr. Booker said. “I can’t wait to see it next year. We’ll do it every year. We’re coming back for sure.”

He loved the solo performance by the erhu—a 4,000-year-old Chinese instrument that mimics the human voice. Though it only has two strings, it is capable of expressing a wide range of emotions.

“It was fantastic. That was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard,” he said.

“I was in awe. There’s no other way to describe it. I was in awe,” Mrs. Booker chimed in, adding that she thought the whole show was “very energetic.”

“The colors, the music, the background, the interactions—there was a very energetic feeling to the show,” she stated. “Definitely dynamic.”

The name ‘Shen Yun” translates directly into “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Based in New York, the artists have made it their mission to revive, through dance and music, China’s 5,000 years of civilization to its pre-communist glory.

Shen Yun’s performance comprises a series of short pieces that take its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China.
Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from ancient times to the modern day.
As a history professor, Mr. Booker said that bringing back traditional culture is very important because “reliving history and not forgetting those things is the tie that binds everybody together.”

“The past, my past, your past—all of that happened to get us to where we are today,” he expressed.

Mrs. Booker couldn’t agree more. For her, keeping history alive is important because “number one, it is beautiful. Number two, if we don’t keep the old cultures alive, the new ones are going to destroy not just China but the rest of the world. We’re not on the right path. The old paths are the better way.”

When asked if he would be recommending Shen Yun to his friends and family, Mr. Booker answered adamantly that he would do so “without a doubt.”

“I’ve already put it on Facebook. You need to come see this show,” he said.

Reporting by Mary Zhang and Jennifer Tseng.
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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