TULSA, Okla.—Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Divisional Chief, Henry Harjo, is a tribal administrator for government programs and an accountant. He saw Shen Yun Performing Arts on Wednesday, March 18 in Oklahoma and said the show was everything he expected it would be.
“A lot of dancing, that had a lot of gracefulness and a lot of color. And that’s what I was anticipating. And I wasn’t surprised. And there was a lot of glamour about it,” he said.
His wife, Rachelle Harjo, a mental health therapist, was also impressed.
“All of it was really beautiful, as far as aesthetics and those kind of qualities. The very last piece, the finale, was very powerful,” she said.
Mr. Harjo said that the costumes left a deep impression on him.
“A lot of the flair, the dresses, had a lot of color to it and flowed quite fluently. And it reminded me of butterflies,” he said.
He drew parallels with stories and dance from Native American culture.
“As they vibrated out there, it reminded me of our own culture. Some dances that take on the butterfly aspect. I found that very good.
“The cultural experience, being led through 5,000 years of Chinese history, was very interesting.
“One of the things that came across very, very fluently was the philosophy and the theological aspects of the performance and also the regions of China.
“Whether it is in this country, whether it is other indigenous countries, it was a spirituality that took root. It happened, and it may have happened all at once when the creator may have come to earth. That there was that. With that came the human aspects of things ... and [we] try to overcome the good and the bad,” he said.
He said he learned more than he thought he would about China.
Mrs. Harjo said she learned a lot about Chinese culture through the Shen Yun performance.
“You can just tell that there is a lot more to learn that I have no clue about, and it would take some time to do that,” she said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts’ three companies will visit more than 80 cities this season, putting on more than 300 shows. Their next stop in the United States is Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday and Sunday.
Sarah Matheson contributed to this report.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
