TORONTO—Liberal MP Judy Sgro says seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts helps lift the spirits of the audience after enduring two years of pandemic.
“It’s been a very difficult two years for everyone, no matter where you live in the world, and it’s very uplifting to see the dance and the light and the airiness that they perform. I think it lifts everybody’s spirits to have come tonight,” Ms. Sgro said after seeing Shen Yun at the Four Seasons Centre on April 1.
“It was beautiful. It’s absolutely breathtaking with the dancers—the talent and the colors that all come together. It’s just really breathtaking. I would really like to do more to ensure that the rest of the world actually gets to see this beautiful performance.”
Ms. Sgro, who is co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong, said she was particularly struck by the dance pieces depicting the persecution of the Chinese spiritual practice, also called Falun Dafa, in today’s China.
“It was a very moving experience to see exactly how that’s continuing,” she said.
Importance of Tradition
After seeing Shen Yun, former Conservative MP Lois Brown noted the importance of upholding time-honored traditions.
“It’s important that all of us hold on to our traditions. It’s really important that we teach those to our children,” Ms. Brown said.
“Not only are we seeing wonderful dancing ..., but we are being confronted with so many of the different traditions of China as it used to be,” she said. “We’ve seen dancing ... from all the different parts of China. ... We know that China is made up of so many different ethnic groups, and so it’s wonderful to be shown all of those different groups and their own traditions.”
Ms. Brown praised Shen Yun’s portrayal of China’s culture before the communist regime took control.
‘It’s Amazing’
Former Conservative MP Wladyslaw Lizon, who has been to Shen Yun performances in the past, commended the company and its performers.
“The skills, the whole show put together—it’s amazing,” he said, adding that “the dancers are extremely skilled.”
“The [persecution of] Falun Gong is truly something that ... coming from a communist country [Poland] where I grew up, I can really connect to,” he said.
Mr. Lizon praised Shen Yun’s organizers for bringing it to southern Ontario.
‘Breathtaking’
“It’s such an amazing show, such great energy,” Ms. Carson said. “I think it takes more than just physical energy. It takes emotional energy and a commitment to the dance and the choreography, and having everything together. And that’s mind, spirit, and life.”
“The energy of the show—nothing can replicate that. I would encourage everyone to see the show and to learn,” she said.
Incredible Production
“Incredible production. Very, very beautiful,” she said.
“It was just absolutely stunning, all of it,” she said. “I'd definitely come back tomorrow if I didn’t have to be somewhere else. That’s how much I enjoyed it.”
Peter Agricola, who recently retired as a vice president with Frigidaire Canada, said he found Shen Yun “very moving.”
“It’s lovely, it’s fantastic. I really enjoyed it,” he said. “The ending was spectacular.”