GEELONG, Australia—John Mitchell, the mayor of Geelong, felt his eyes had been opened to traditional Chinese culture when he saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Costa Hall in Geelong on April 3.
“It was a very good show, it was an inspiring show. … To see a different culture and to see how it performed on stage was fantastic. I really enjoyed it.
“I know it’s a culture that is old and steeped in history, and that shone out tonight. It [Shen Yun] was very good,” he said.
Geelong, which lies 75 kilometers south of Victoria’s capital, Melbourne, is Australia’s largest regional municipality.
As mayor, Mr. Mitchell presides over 234,000 residents and 10,000 businesses. Born and raised in the area, Mr. Mitchell has lived in Geelong for more than 40 years and is married with three children.
“It’s not something I’m familiar with. It looked as though it was divine, it sort of looked spiritual … it’s hard to explain,” he said.
What became clear to him was that Shen Yun is something special.
“It was something that kept you alive. I mean, it’s nearly 11 o’clock, way past my bedtime, but it kept me on the edge of my seat all night!”
Mr. Mitchell said the whole performance had been “very expressive.
“The costuming was terrific, the backdrops were all good, the scenery was good as well.
“The surprise was the way the dancers seemed to float through the air. There was no effort in anything they did. ... It looked difficult, but it didn’t seem difficult. It just seemed natural for them to do what they were doing.”
“The last act [Knowing the True Picture Offers Ultimate Hope] was very, very moving, it was relevant to today’s times. ... It was very good.”
When told Shen Yun was continuing to Sydney he said, “I would recommend it to anyone in Sydney to go see it, and I’m sure that this show will play to a packed house, the same as it has tonight. Terrific. Well worth seeing.”
This story was written with files from NTDTV, a media partner of The Epoch Times.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
