LAS VEGAS—Terry Coyle, a doctor, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 1.
“It was very moving,” Mr. Coyle said. “I loved the orchestra, the artistry, the costuming. It was just beautiful. I loved it.”
Shen Yun’s performance includes depictions of the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of followers of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Mr. Coyle was greatly moved by this depiction and “was drawn to tears.”
“It was just very nice to see that—the symbolism between the Chinese people and freedom versus just [what] we always perceived as the communistic government,” Mr. Coyle said. “It was very moving. I loved it. It was a great performance. It was a great message.”
“We always have this stereotype of the Chinese people being the Communist Party, but it’s different. The Communist Party is, unfortunately, the hammer and the sickle that keeps the people oppressed. It was nice to see that the oppressed people are still looking for the divine power, looking for the divine leader. It was just beautiful.”
“I didn’t realize that you were not allowed to show this in China,” Mr. Coyle said. “[It’s] very humbling that we live in the land of the free and that we can have freedom of speech, but at the same time, we have to be very responsible for what we say and what we do.”
“It was nice to hear as well how spiritual it was, and how it’s not just about man, it’s about the higher power, and how if you believe in evolution, you’re even further from the truth. I loved hearing that.”
Mr. Coyle felt that Shen Yun was an important performance for children to see.
“Kids need to see this,” he said. “This needs to be put in some of our junior highs and high schools because, once again, we as Americans have the misconception that China is the Communist Party. China is the people.”
