LAS VEGAS—Joseph Fairchild, a retired state assemblyman, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts with his granddaughters on March 2 at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Fairchild shared that it was the fifth time he brought the young ladies to see Shen Yun, and that they enjoyed the performance so much, one of them never stopped clapping.
“They’re both Asian, so it’s good to see the culture,” said Mr. Fairchild. “They need to know [the] history.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun was
founded in 2006 and is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception, it has rapidly grown to eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty and goodness of China before communism.
Having spent eight years in the army fighting in Vietnam, Mr. Fairchild described himself as “an avid anti-communist,” and that Shen Yun’s efforts meant a lot. He said that one of the reasons he brought his granddaughters to see Shen Yun was because he saw the performance’s
educational value. Mr. Fairchild wanted his granddaughters to learn about “the bad things of the communist regime.”
“They need to know that,” he emphasized.
Mr. Fairchild said he felt that Shen Yun’s performance was also very
spiritual. In fact, according to the Shen Yun website, traditional Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the spiritual teachings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, and the ancient Chinese had a deep connection with the divine, believing that their culture was a gift from the Heavens.
Mr. Fairchild identified the qualities presented in Shen Yun that spoke to him of spirituality.
“The show, it’s all about compassion,” he said. “Forbearance, everything that … God stands for.”
Shen Yun’s hand-made costumes and unique live orchestra that combines traditional Chinese and Western instruments also stood out to Mr. Fairchild.
“I love it, the
costumes,” he said. “You don’t see this anymore.”
“I love the music … because of the instruments. You don’t hear this kind of sound nowadays on the radio. You just don’t hear it.”
During the performance, the audience learns that Shen Yun is not allowed to perform in China. Mr. Fairchild expressed his understanding of the challenges
Shen Yun has faced, as well as his gratitude for all that the performing arts company has done.
“I really appreciate what they’re doing,” said Mr. Fairchild. “This is needed. … So yes, thank you very much.”
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