ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Dance school principal Ann Mendoza Hendrix saw Shen Yun Performing Arts a few years ago and was so inspired by the experience that, on March 16, she brought her students to the company’s fifth show at the California Center for the Arts.
“I’ve seen it before, actually, that’s why I wanted them to see it. I saw it a couple of years ago and since I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to see it again,” Ms. Hendrix explained, adding that she thought Shen Yun sets a great example for the students.
“I wanted them to see how professional dance can be done. Since they do dance and acrobatics, I wanted them to see how it is possible for people to dance amazingly and what it is to be a professional and to be in a production,” she said.
She said she wanted “them to learn by watching. ... and do something together.”
Unlike the modern, military-influenced styles often seen in China today, Shen Yun preserves and performs this tradition in its most authentic form, as it was originally passed down through generations.
The company’s mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture, nearly lost under decades of communist rule, and showcase the beauty of China before communism to the world.
The training “takes years and years. So, it’s cool to see it happening—people coming to such a great and professional level,” she added.
Watching Shen Yun’s performance is a dream come true for somebody who wants to become a performer and a dancer. It was “super cool to see everybody dance together as a team. That’s beautiful.”
