SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Brings Good Luck to People, Says Former Korean City Council Speaker

Feb 08, 2023

GUMI, South Korea—Mr. Park Il-jung, the former speaker of the Gimcheon City Council and the president of Umok Tree Arboretum, felt refreshed attending Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Gumi Arts Center–Grand Hall in Gumi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.

“Shen Yun brought a great production to our Gumi City. After attending Shen Yun, I’m very pleased, and my body is full of energy. I feel we [Korean people] will be very lucky from now on,” he said.

Mr. Park said Shen Yun is therapy for the soul.

Shen Yun is a huge gift to us human beings!

— Park Il-jung

“Shen Yun purified our souls. I feel the whole universe and the human world has become more transparent, cleaner, and elevated to a place of more positive energy,” he said. “Shen Yun is a huge gift to us human beings!”

Mr. Park was surprised by Shen Yun’s animated backdrop, which interacted with the dancers on the stage.

“The dancers were dancing on stage. They were dancing and dancing. Suddenly, they jumped into the air. In the next second, they were inside the backdrop! They flew away,” he said. “The design is so magical!”

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of “China before communism.”

Mr. Park liked Shen Yun’s programs mentioned heaven.

“Seeing the vastness and beautiful scenes of the universe, I was full of enthusiasm. I felt divine beings were bringing us great dreams. Then my brain had images that heavenly maidens were coming to us,” he said with a big smile.

“I felt, the dancers have a broad mind. They danced so happily and cheerfully,” he said. “Watching their dances, I felt that I was young again. My heart was even dancing with them.”

Mr. Park appreciated Shen Yun’s effort to deliver something profound.

“I saw Shen Yun present us human dignity, the greatness of life, and the importance of loyalty and filial piety,” he said.

“Shen Yun is a life experience. Each and every person must attend at least once,” Mr. Park said. “Shen Yun gives us hope. I felt it rebuilds our spirits. I know my life will be happier and more glorious because I attended Shen Yun.”

For 5,000 years, China’s civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, virtues like loyalty, propriety, wisdom, justice, and benevolence—values that are universal and shared the world over.

‘See China’s History’

“The colors of Shen Yun are amazingly rich. The dancers’ skills and techniques are awesome!” said Mr. Lee Jinyoung, the director of the Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village Education Cooperation. “It’s very hard to find a show like Shen Yun anywhere in the world. It presents the vast depth and mysteries of China’s history.”

Mr. Lee said he was very impressed by Shen Yun’s dances, music, backdrop, costumes, and colors. He felt the production had a “divine nature.”

Ms. Na Kyung-hee, a traditional Korean music teacher, was surprised to find Shen Yun very different from the online video.

She said the real performance “is majestic!”

“I was shocked when I first saw the stage. Also, the interaction between the backdrop and the stage is fabulous!” she said. “The footages on the backdrop are very beautiful. However, they cooperated with the dancers’ movements accurately and closely. This design is fantastic!”

Ms. Na hoped people won’t be limited by the videos, because the real performance was far beyond what any video could capture.

“You have to attend Shen Yun at least once. You will understand the stories. You will enjoy the arts,” she said.

Each Shen Yun performance consists of nearly 20 vignettes, presented through highly-expressive art forms such as classical Chinese dance, original orchestral music performed live, soloists who sing in the bel canto tradition, animated digital backdrops, and more.