SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

‘Eternal Values’: Teacher Compares Shen Yun Values to 12th Century Knights of France

Feb 12, 2023

LYON, France—On Thursday, Feb. 9, the Shen Yun Performing Arts Global Company performed its last show in Lyon, closing six days of discovery of the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

Based in New York, Shen Yun’s mission is to bring to life the very rich traditional Chinese culture of multiple ethnicities and dynasties that have succeeded each other during its 5,000 years of history.

Jean-Pierre Ligot, a retired nurse, and Hillary Bell-Ligot, an English teacher, were in Lyon and took this opportunity to attend Shen Yun at the Amphitheatre 3000.

“Exceptional! It’s really a show where you feel like you’re living again ... dancing with them! We would like to accompany them on stage!” exclaimed Jean-Pierre Ligot.

Mrs. Bell-Ligot is from England and “liked the philosophy behind it,” while being appreciative of the explanations given by the emcees before each piece, which “helped her to understand what is behind all these traditions ... the dances.”

Shen Yun’s website states that something that makes Shen Yun’s performers unique is that they “strive to live by the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance” and that they “believe that cultivating the heart is the way to create art that is beautifully sublime.”

“Demonstrating remarkable self-discipline and dedication, these artists have moved audiences around the world,” states the presentation booklet.

“It’s important,” Mrs. Bell-Ligot points out, “especially with all the troubles in China these days, to know that ... I didn’t know there was such a group with these values living and working in this academy in New York!”

The couple shared their feelings about the show; while Mr. Ligot said he felt “a calming effect,” his wife confided she “felt more of the divine ... especially with the images in the background. It really emphasized that connection between reality, earth, and heaven.”

High school and university teacher Mrs. Bell-Ligot was sensitive to the values conveyed in Shen Yun and made a comparison between these principles and those that animated the knights of 12th century France.

“In fact, it is a bit like the ideals of the 12th Century: the courtly romance in France and the ideals of the knights at the time: fidelity, loyalty, respect for religion, good against evil, justice, these are the values that are eternal values,” said Mrs. Bell-Ligot, who said these values were and still are universal.

Reporting by NTD and Sarita Modmesaïb.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.