George McReynolds attended the performance in Philadelphia and was certainly glad he did, calling it the best show he’s ever seen and the experience of a lifetime. The U.S. Army veteran owns a financial services firm and is an author, public speaker, and oft-quoted media personality in the field of finance.
“If I’m not waxing grandiose, it’s the triumph of humanity,” McReynolds said about what he'd take away from the experience. “Everything, the talent, the art that comes out in so many different ways, it’s just amazing.”
“Every part of it, whether it was the costumes or the movements or the smiles of the dancers, it exudes emotion and feeling,” McReynolds said. “And I’m not a touchy-feely kind of guy, but it really just came through. I really liked the theme and the integrity, the faith, and the salvation, divinity, and spirituality was just a wonderful undertone. But the incredible talent of everyone involved in the production was just superb.”
The essence of Chinese culture is its spirituality, which Shen Yun continues through its narratives and the lyrics it presents, but also through a daily spiritual discipline that each Shen Yun performer inhabits. Falun Dafa is that practice, which is an ancient meditation way from China that teaches truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.
Falun Dafa practitioners make appearances from time to time as characters in each Shen Yun performance, namely during storytelling dances that depict the unfortunate persecution they face in China today at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.
But these pieces are seen as hopeful, due to the compassion, faith, and forgiveness these characters exhibit, both on stage and in real life under such tyranny.
So many parts about the artistry in the performance touched McReynolds.
“I absolutely was moved by [the performance], goosebumps moved, it was that incredible,” McReynolds said, who added high praise for the tenor of the evening.
The business owner, author, and speaker said he would spread the word about Shen Yun and its renaissance of Chinese culture. “Oh, this is incredible. I can see why the communists don’t like it. But I’ll do my part to promote it. I think everyone should see this.”