AARHUS, Denmark---Mayor Uffe Jensen knew he wasn’t supposed to take photos of Shen Yun Performing Arts during its performance, but he was incredibly tempted to; the colors were so strong and clear. The beautiful costumes, the breathtaking connection of the colors to the backdrop, the actors seeming to leave the stage and fly to the moon, all of these aspects combined to impress him: “The precision that makes it seem unbelievably lifelike, so impressively well put together, technical aspects and performing arts.”

Mr. Jensen is the mayor of Odder, a smaller city about 12 miles from Aarhus and its Musikhuset, where he attended the performance.

The Mayor, who caught the New York-based company on April 12, had never seen a performance like this one, he said. He found the orchestra, blending traditional Western and Eastern instruments, amazing, even superb, and was excited to see dance telling traditional Chinese stories and legends.

That Denmark whole-heartedly welcomed the company is not in doubt. The two performances were sold out, and the audiences were very warm, giving standing ovations and three curtain calls.

China Has a Bit to Learn

Mr. Jensen admires Shen Yun for having the courage to perform modern stories, including those about the suppression by the Chinese regime of its citizenry.

“Here I have to be honest and say that China still has a bit to learn. It’s really good on stage to see a discussion like this … about human rights and … treating each other with respect. Here China can still learn some more,” he said.

What China has to learn from the West is to fight for democracy and human equality, Mr. Jensen believes. He has traveled extensively all over the world and feels the people of individual countries should be allowed their traditional beliefs and should be allowed to portray their country as they choose.

Shen Yun, the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, aims to restore China’s traditional culture—before the communist party began suppressing the old ways and beliefs. Shen Yun is not allowed into mainland China, yet it has appeared at over 130 cities all over the world.

Seeing the 5,000 years that China can boast as the bedrock of its culture impressed the mayor. Denmark also has traditions from a long history and these should be protected, he said, as should those of China.

“It has been very nice and an eye-opener to experience what [the Chinese people] want to express. As I said …, it is courageous and beautifully done, and I really like that it gets a bit at the regime,” he said.

Reporting by NTD Television and Sharon Kilarski

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.