TORONTO—Conservative MP Anna Roberts says she was captivated by the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance from the moment the curtain rose until the final scene at the end.
“It kept me hanging on to my seat. It was just absolutely spectacular. I don’t even know how to describe it, except [that] it was wonderful,” said Ms. Roberts, who saw Shen Yun at the Four Seasons Centre on April 9.
“I could not believe the amazing costumes, the lyrics, the music, the dancing, ... it was absolutely fabulous.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. After two years of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, it is once again touring the world to stage its performances, which feature an all-new program every year.
The company has a mission to revive the traditional culture of China, an age-old heritage that has been all but uprooted following decades of communist rule.
“With the war that we’re facing, [Shen Yun] brings a calmness. It teaches us to reflect on the positive," Ms. Roberts said.
“War is not the answer. Conversation is the answer. I really believe that. So it gave me a sense of peace and it gave me a sense of [the] positive to look forward to in the future,” she said.
She added that the values portrayed in Shen Yun are universal, such as “honesty, dignity, treating every person in the world ... the way you would want to be treated, with respect.”
“Regardless of what culture you’re from, those are amazing values that we all should live by,” and everyone benefits from “the peace and tranquility that come out of it.”
“This has been a spectacular show. I recommend it to everybody, every culture,” Ms. Roberts said.
Reporting by NTD.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.