NEW YORK—David Paterson, former governor of New York, is legally blind, but he was able to find a way to enjoy Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I can’t see it as well as everyone else. But everything I saw was beautiful, and the movements were incredible,” said Mr. Paterson at the evening performance at Lincoln Center on April 8. “I would never have thought that the type of tumbling they do actually came from dance—it didn’t come from exercise. I thought it was spectacular.”
New York-based
Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, often credited for the revival of the ancient art form. Audience members learn during the performance that
classical Chinese dance is a comprehensive dance system with tumbling techniques, where the techniques of sports like acrobatics and gymnastics originated.
Mr. Paterson was even more impressed with the spirit of the performance. He noted a story set in contemporary times, showing people holding onto traditions and faith even under the current
communist regime, even under the threat of their lives. He felt the story exposed the human rights abuses of the regime and was a fight for human rights.
“That shows true devotion and true belief in the Creator and in the spirit,” he said.
Joe Scioscia, a vice president in sales, also thought the performance “was spectacular.”
“The dancing is just incredible. The athleticism, the color, the pageantry of the whole thing. It’s just really spectacular,” he said.
“I love the history that they portray in the whole show. The way they bring in the culture and
they explain it to the audience, and they explain how everything that they do has evolved over time. It’s really just very interesting on top of being very exciting,” he said.
“It’s just really beautiful. It’s a very uplifting show. It’s really very exciting.”
Reporting by Sherry Dong and Frank Liang.
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