SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Performers ‘Are Focused and Dedicated to Their Ideals’: Professor

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Shen Yun Performers ‘Are Focused and Dedicated to Their Ideals’: Professor
Sharon and Dave Menshew attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, on Jan. 7, 2023. NTD

SAN FRANCISCO—Dr. David Menshew, a professor for the University of Massachusetts, and his wife Sharon purchased tickets to see Shen Yun Performing Arts after hearing raving reviews from people around them. “I’ve heard about this for years. I’ve heard a lot of people speak very highly about the amazing dance and art.”

After the evening performance on Jan. 7, at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, Dr. Menshew said Shen Yun absolutely lived up to his expectations. “[The performers’] talent is just beyond compare. The music was amazing. It was a whole new level.”
Mrs. Menshew, whose parents emigrated from China in the late 1950s, said the performance reminded her of a lot of the stories she had heard in her childhood. “There is such a rich history and we can learn so much from stories. You don’t need to speak the language. You can see it in the dances. I think that is so important today.”
Shen Yun was established in 2006 by leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of China’s communist regime. Based in New York, the company’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely-inspired culture that had been destroyed by decades of communist rule.

“Granny told us so much about [China.] Seeing it on stage was pretty emotional because I know what my grandparents went through and my parents also,” Mrs. Menshew said.

She added that it’s wonderful to see authentic Chinese culture in the United States because it’s important “for everyone to understand what people have gone through to get here and to share these stories. So many people were beaten for trying to speak the truth or just to live free.”

Since its founding, Shen Yun has grown to include eight equally-sized companies that tour the world simultaneously each year. On Jan. 7, seven of its eight companies performed. However, Shen Yun is currently forbidden by the communist regime to perform in China.

Dr. Menshew thought Shen Yun’s mission to bring back traditional culture is very noble and inspiring. “I’ve actually traveled a little bit in China. You wouldn’t see this there. [Shen Yun’s] message needs to be spread,” he said.

“There are a lot of uninspired people [after] living through the pandemic and all the things we’ve seen over the last few years. I think they need inspiration, and [this show] provides that.”

Referring to Shen Yun performers’ artistry Dr. Menshew said, “there are people who can access excellence through focus and I think that’s a lot of what you see here. From musicians to speakers to the performers on stage—they are focused and dedicated to their ideals.”

Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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