SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Represents the Values That Made China Great, Says Company Owner

Mar 22, 2023

VANCOUVER, Canada—On March 21, real estate company owner Martin Dash and his wife, Margaret, attended Shen Yun’s evening performance at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

This was the couple’s second time seeing the show, and they said they will definitely be returning next year.

“[Shen Yun] shows 5,000 years of history, and the performers are remarkable artistic athletes—I think as many people as possible should watch this show around the world,” Mr. Dash exclaimed.

According to the Shen Yun website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.

“It was such a fantastic show we had to come a second time!” Mr. Dash said. “The show this year was quite different from the show last year. We’ll be back again next year, and I plan to bring more people.”

Shen Yun is the world’s leading classical Chinese dance and music company.

The New York-based performing arts company offers a set of all-new programs every year showcasing classical, ethnic, folk, and story-based dances from various regions and dynasties of China.

Given the world’s current situation, Mr. Dash believes that the more people are aware of the history of China before communism, “the better the world will be.”

“I think the more people know about the rich history of China before communism, the more they will appreciate China. That’s very good!” he expressed.

“[Shen Yun] shows the world that the people of China are very different from the government of China. There’s a huge difference!”

Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by artists seeking to revive China’s authentic culture, destroyed by the country’s decades of communist rule.

Prior to the regime’s spread of atheism, spirituality and the belief in the divine formed the basis of Chinese life.

Mr. Dash was especially touched by the values that the Shen Yun performers upheld.

“They bring traditional values like truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—I believe these are the true values of the Chinese people, and [Shen Yun] goes a long way to show the world that.”

He was sure that though the communist regime has been in power for 75 years, they would be gone soon because “they do not represent the values that made China and the Chinese people great. This show does—the current government does not.”

Next year, Mr. Dash will be bringing as many people as he can to see Shen Yun.

“If [people] have a different point of view, you don’t lock them up in prison or murder them as the Chinese government does. The more people see the show, they will understand these values and push back against the government in China.”

If he gets a chance, Mr. Dash would like to tell Shen Yun’s artists that they are doing an amazing job and the show was remarkable.

“Stay free and stay strong. I was a Canadian army officer, so I value the tradition of compassion—caring for people and protecting people. Stay strong and keep performing!”

Reporting by Lily Yu 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.