SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Executive Director Finds Shen Yun Beautiful and Mind Expanding

Apr 03, 2022

STAMFORD, Conn.—After watching the world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts, Don and Carolyn Chiodo had an important takeaway message.

“I think that people should actually come to performances such as [Shen Yun], not just to see things that are beautiful, but also expand their learning and their mind,” said Mr. Chiodo. The couple had been enjoying the performance at The Palace Theater in Stamford with a friend, a retired school teacher.

Mrs. Chiodo is a flower designer and owns her own business. “I loved learning about the [Chinese] culture. I’m not familiar with it and didn’t realize how much religious symbolism [there was]. It was enlightening,” she said.

“I like the pageantry and the dance and the music—the music is wonderful,” said Mr. Chiodo, an executive director for JP Morgan.

The dances tell stories from China’s five millennia of history, stories that are steeped in traditions that have been passed down over the centuries. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive those traditions from near extinction following the rise of the Chinese Communist Party.

China’s culture was bathed in deep spiritual beliefs that the ancients believed were passed down to mortals from the Gods. One dance that touched the hearts of the couple was the mini-drama “Insanity During the End Days,” a story about the persecution of the spiritual practice Falun Gong.

The dance is based on the immoral practice of forcibly removing the organs of innocent people for profit, and the dilemma faced by the protagonists.

Mr. Chiodo was able to relate to the issue of organ transplantation.

“Actually, my father had a heart transplant so it’s kind of interesting to see that [the Chinese authorities] were accused of harvesting [organs],” he said. He was not aware that the practice of forcibly removing the organs of innocent people for sale was occurring in China and was horrified.

“I’m happy that my father actually got a heart but I would feel horrible if he got it through some means like someone else dying for him to get it,” Mr. Chiodo said.

As a flower designer, Mrs. Chiodo was blown away by the colors.

“We were talking about all the colors and how that could translate to spring for us,” she said, referring in particular to the dance “Plum Blossom in Spring.”

“We use a lot of branches in our design. So, it was beautiful,” she said.

Shen Yun’s Storytelling ‘Beautifully Done’

Justin Crasto, president of IT Revenue Management Corporation, was so impressed after watching Shen Yun, that he had to see it again. It was the technology and harmony involved in producing the performance that grabbed his attention.

“I just think that there was not one blip. Everything [is] synchronized. And I’m very impressed with how the training and the choreographer … especially the graphic artists did a beautiful job because that’s part of the magic,” he said.

Justin Crasto found Chinese culture "extremely interesting," at The Palace Theater in Stamford, on April 2, 2022. (Wei Yong/The Epoch Times) — Justin Crasto found Chinese culture "extremely interesting," at The Palace Theater in Stamford, on April 2, 2022. Wei Yong/The Epoch Times

Shen Yun had created a magical performance with performers seamlessly transitioning back and forth with the digital backdrop. “So, I think that’s exciting. It’s very well done. I’ve never seen that type of expression in the theater,” he said.

“The culture is extremely interesting. The stories that were being told in visual terms, beautifully done.”

Mr. Crasto praised Shen Yun for reviving traditional Chinese culture.

“It’s history and we’re watching history replicated in stories. It’s beautifully done. Very interesting for someone like me as I enjoy that. So, I think most of the people here did,” he said.

Reporting by Frank Liang, Wei Yong and Diane Cordemans.

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