SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun’s Performance Was a Spark of Hope to the Heart, Says Illinois Theatergoer

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Shen Yun’s Performance Was a Spark of Hope to the Heart, Says Illinois Theatergoer
Robert and Wendy Napolitano enjoyed Shen Yun's evening performance at the Rosemont Theatre on April 22, 2023. Stacey Tang/The Epoch Times

ROSEMONT, Ill.—Aviation director Robert Napolitano and his wife, Wendy, thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Shen Yun’s evening performance on April 22.

Exiting the Rosemont Theatre, Mr. Napolitano said the show was “absolutely fantastic.”

“I loved the dance, I loved the message—there were a lot of peace and a lot of love,” he said. “It was really nice.”

Mrs. Napolitano chimed in happily that she simply “could not get over how beautiful the spins were.”

Nevertheless, what touched her the most was Shen Yun’s “message behind the dances.”

“As far as standing up and being sovereign and being able to say what you want—speak your piece—I think that was very important,” she said.

“To stand up against the government and make sure that your voice is heard regardless of what the consequences were—that came through a lot throughout [the show].”

New York-based Shen Yun was founded by leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party. Their dream is to bring back the country’s 5,000 years of traditional culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule.
The company has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from its worldwide audience since its establishment in 2006. In fact, in the 2023 touring season, these artists are slated to perform in over 180 cities.
However, for their focus on reviving traditional culture and bringing awareness to ongoing human rights issues, Shen Yun is banned by the communist regime from performing in China.
The couple also loved the spiritual element of Shen Yun and thought there should be more of that in this world.

“There was an [idea] of the ascended masters watching over humanity—they are there to help us, they’re ready to step in, and they’re always with us,” Mrs. Napolitano expressed.

“We don’t know they are there, but when we need them the most, they will be there for us. It was [a spark of] hope to the heart—I enjoyed that part.”

For her, Shen Yun’s classical Chinese dance—water sleeves—exuded not just that idea but something a bit more ethereal.

“You see the flow of the movement, and you can just feel how it represented the energy—it goes up, we capture it, then send it out,” she said.
“It felt as if it’s our own personal energy—we can send it out to others then bring it back to ourselves, hang on to it, then send it out to others again.”
Mrs. Napolitano felt the same way about the voice of Shen Yun’s baritone—trained in the traditional bel canto style.
“He was exuding so much energy. It was going toward the audience and you can feel it—he was sending it. I wanted to capture it and send him rainbows back.”
Reporting by Stacey Tang 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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