WASHINGTON—Mrs. Lantos is the widow of Congressman Tom Lantos, who served as a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus for over 20 years.
“It is probably a new China, but really connected to the true China of old times,” said Mrs. Lantos at the post-performance reception. She was describing the impression of China she received from the Shen Yun Performing Arts show on Jan. 22.
“We are very grateful you are making the tremendous effort to keep this alive in the 21st century [traditional Chinese culture],” she said.
Mrs. Lantos brought her grandson, Corbin. “He really enjoyed it. He speaks fluent Chinese,” she said.
“I liked it both in Chinese and in English,” said Corbin about the bilingual narration during the performance.
“Every time I see it I see something new, and today was wonderful,” said Mrs. Lantos, who has seen the show several times.
“I felt such a strong spirit there from the group, and I really feel they are not only dancing, but they are delivering a very important message about the true classical China, which we tend to forget,” she said.
“So many people in the world just don’t remember the real meaning and real message of China. And I think these wonderful dancers are keeping this alive,” she added.
Mrs. Lantos also said that people “forgot classical China, the beauty, the grace, the basic charm that the Chinese people always meant. Americans, my generation remembers China through Pearl Buck,” [the Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author].
“Remember Peony? That China has been lost. I think you are doing a wonderful job reviving it and keeping it alive,” she said.
Peony is a novel Pearl S. Buck wrote about a Jewish community in China during the Song Dynasty.
With Reporting by Lisa Fan.
For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org .
