SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘Very Heavenly, Very Pure,’ Says Florida Theatergoer About Shen Yun

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‘Very Heavenly, Very Pure,’ Says Florida Theatergoer About Shen Yun
Nannette Amezaga and her husband at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, in Fort Lauderdale, on Dec. 28, 2023. Dongyu Teng/The Epoch Times

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Shen Yun Performing Arts is back for the 2024 season and graced the stage at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 28.

This was the first time English Professor Nannette Amezaga and her husband had seen Shen Yun perform and were enlightened by the themes of spirituality and kindness throughout the performance.

“I’m very glad to see something that not only connects the culture but also the spiritual part of China,” said Mrs. Amezaga.

“Something that did touch me was seeing how it motivates the young people to connect to their cultural and their spiritual beliefs and to be better [people] every day,” she added.

New York-based Shen Yun presents a culture that draws upon ancient China’s Buddhist and Daoist philosophies, including stories from China’s 5,000-year-old civilization.

Over the past decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has treated spirituality and traditional culture as a threat to its rule. Through campaigns like the Cultural Revolution, it has systematically uprooted traditional beliefs, bringing the age-old culture to the brink of extinction.

One dance piece depicts the modern-day, state-orchestrated crime of forced organ harvesting from Falun Dafa prisoners of conscience in China, part of the CCP’s persecution campaign.

“We see not only the history but also it brings you China today,” said Mrs. Amezaga. “Even though you might find difficult times, you always have that open space to choose the best.”

In regards to a scene featuring the persecution where a heart of compassion can motivate one towards kindness, Mrs. Amezaga said, “It brings you hope.”

Since 2006, Shen Yun has performed at top theatres worldwide. The company performs classical Chinese dance, ethnic and folk dances, and story-based dances, accompanied by a unique orchestra that blends traditional Chinese instruments with classical Western instruments.
“The music, the dance, the combination of Western and oriental music was really something very different to what we’re used to hearing,’ said Mrs. Amezaga. “It’s a great, great work of art.”

Magical and Transcendent

The Miller family at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28, 2023. (Dongyu Teng/The Epoch Times)
The Miller family at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 28, 2023. Dongyu Teng/The Epoch Times
The Miller family was stunned by the beauty of Shen Yun at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 28.
From the costumes, dancers, singing, and live orchestration, the son, Stanley Miller, thought the acts “were magical.”

“Very heavenly, very celestial, very pure,” he said.

With Shen Yun’s orchestra as “one of the high points of the show,” Stanley also said they really enjoyed the singing.

The company boasts virtuoso vocalists who sing Chinese lyrics using the bel canto style.

“The opera singing from both the male and the female—it was amazing,” said Stanley. “And we found [the lyrics] most interesting and magical.”

Once known as “The Land of the Divine,” China’s authentic culture is inseparable from its spiritual heritage—where a pantheon of divine beings, spiritual cultivators, and mythology has shaped the culture over the centuries.

In a scene where the Creator rewards kindness with salvation, Stanley said, “I think that it’s beautiful and that it’s true … if we have kindness in our hearts, we will get to where we want to be in terms of happiness, in terms of fulfillment.”

“I think that the show really conveys that,” he said. “You can actually get into a high level of spirituality.”

Reporting by Dongyu Teng and Jennifer Schneider.
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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