PORTLAND, Maine—Retired banker Richard Cote and his friends—retired lawyer Gary Holmes, retired company director Patricia Holmes, and retired trust banker Elizabeth Field—attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts at Merrill Auditorium on April 1. The group of friends had a fantastic evening.
“There was so much to see in different aspects that are so amazing—the choreography, the music, the technology—I don’t speak Chinese, but you could follow the storyline in a lot of it,” Mr. Cote said.
The spread of atheism quickly eradicated Chinese people’s belief in the divine. The cherished virtues and values learned from the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism disappeared overnight.
Mr. Cote was deeply moved by the spiritual essence of the performance, especially the powerful finale that portrayed the Creator descending to Earth to assist humanity in its time of need, while simultaneously raising awareness of the pressing human rights issues currently unfolding in China.
What impressed Ms. Holmes aside from the color, costuming, and the choreography was “the skill of the dancers.”
“Their timing, the perfect angles of their legs, the timing of each of their steps was so consistent,” she said.
Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.
For Mr. Holmes, the artists shared “clearly a universal message.” “It goes back into creation and follows through the ages until now. [It’s about the] acceptance of a creator and how majestic that creator is,” he expressed.
Ms. Field, too, thought the performance was fantastic.
“It was unbelievable. I just really enjoyed it very, very much. It was not what I was expecting and far more than I was expecting,” she stated. “It’s inspiring. I just wish that more and more people would take the message and follow it.”
This season, Shen Yun’s eight touring companies are bringing their stunning performances to over 200 cities worldwide. With a brand-new program each year, the company’s 19th anniversary marks another season full of fresh surprises for both first-time and returning audiences alike.
