DALLAS—Modern gymnastics has its roots in the ancient art form of classical Chinese dance, and tonight the two came full circle when gymnast and dancer Christy Hawks attended Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I think the colors are beautiful. And it’s been very interesting to learn their culture so far. That’s part of the reason I wanted to come,” said Shawn.
“For me, I enjoyed learning the history of the dance, culturally, and how it transcends,” Christy said. “Dance doesn’t speak one language—it is universal language. You can feel the emotion and the love and the sorrow. Everything that comes along with that. It’s beautiful.”
Classical Chinese dance’s pedigree reaches back through time thousands of years and was developed alongside martial arts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AiD_say5xk
Shen Yun’s artists have taken on the mission of reviving not only China’s rich artistic traditions, but the civilization’s spiritual character as well, which the ancients believed was inseparable from everyday life.
“Shen Yun” translates to “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Did Christy and Shawn feel the presence of the divine beings on stage?
“I absolutely did. Yes,” Christy said.
“I definitely felt the energy,” Shawn added.
“It comes within,” she said. “Their joy and appreciation they have for their culture and for dance itself. It’s just beautiful. It’s coming from the inside out and it radiates onto all of us.”
“It made me feel blessed that [Shen Yun] is ... able to show, in a beautiful and peaceful way, the persecution. But also that they can protest in a peaceful way in front of a crowd that understands freedom and appreciates and feels for them, wishing that they could have the same freedom.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHBoExmSC4U