TORONTO—Artists Joseph and Renana Gemeiner watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on April 6.
“We couldn’t get over it, we just loved it,” Mrs. Gemeiner said. “We loved the creativity, the artistry, the playfulness of it.”
“I thought it was so smooth that the art flowed from the beginning to the end,” Mr. Gemeiner said.
Many of Shen Yun’s founders and performers experienced oppression and even persecution for their beliefs in China, and were forced to flee their homeland. Since its inception in 2006, Shen Yun’s mission has been to revive traditional Chinese culture and show audiences the beauty of “China before communism.”
“I’m shaking from the privilege of meeting human beings on this earth who are devoting their lives to spreading goodness, the divine within us, [and] the potential for goodness and kindness.”
Mr. Gemeiner said he felt that connections between different cultures were important.
“We have an obligation to other people to create a good flow ... with other people, other cultures,” he said.
Mrs. Gemeiner shared the message she saw in Shen Yun’s performance.
“It was very clear for us, the message of believing in God, connecting with the Creator ... managing our lives through kindness and compassion,” she said. “We completely believe that. It’s a divine mission, our lives. It’s an act of generosity that they shared that with us.”
