SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Miss Global USA 2024 Applauds Shen Yun for Bringing Chinese Culture to Life

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Miss Global USA 2024 Applauds Shen Yun for Bringing Chinese Culture to Life
Miss Global USA 2024 Lindsay Becker attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida on Feb. 24, 2024. Linda Li/The Epoch Times

MIAMI—Lindsay Becker, Miss Global USA 2024 and a flight attendant, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 24.

“It was inspiring, honestly, to see the art of dance and song come together and people expressing themselves through those arts,” Ms. Becker said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Now, with eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously, Shen Yun is on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty of “China before communism.”
As a flight attendant who interacts with people from all over the world on a daily basis, Ms. Becker has a love for learning about other cultures.

“I celebrate culture every single day at my job,” she said.

Having studied Chinese history for a semester during her college days, Ms. Becker found it interesting to see that same history presented through dance and music.

“It was cool to see the 5,000 years of history just come to life through the art of song and dance,” she said. “It was really special to see people celebrate the art of dance and expression of their thoughts and ideals through dance.”

“Honestly, some of the stories here felt more relatable than the things that you read ... in history books, so I was inspired to learn more about Chinese history.”

Ms. Becker shared that she came from a family of musicians and was especially appreciative of the songs performed in the traditional bel canto style.

“Their singing was gorgeous,” Ms. Becker added of Shen Yun’s singers. “I couldn’t believe some of the notes that the soprano was reaching. They were beautiful, both of them. Very, very talented artists.”

Ms. Becker was also touched by the music performed by Shen Yun’s live orchestra, which harmonizes traditional Chinese and Western instruments.

“It was cool to see cultures come together in that way,” she said. “I thought it was a truly interesting way to celebrate not only Western culture but also Eastern, and especially through the music. I’ve never seen some of those instruments before, so it was very cool to see.”

“It felt very calming,” Ms. Becker added. “Experiencing it, I felt a part of the show. It felt just really serene … they mentioned that music is a form of medicine, and you truly felt that in the performance.”

Besides the music, Ms. Becker said that she also really liked Shen Yun’s hand-made costumes.

“I’m a huge fan of bright, vibrant colors,” she said. “The performance came alive with the colors and the beautiful designs of the garments. So it was spectacular, truly.”

Shen Yun’s program also includes story-based dances, some of which are set in modern-day China and depict the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of followers of faith. Ms. Becker said that although she had heard of the Chinese government’s censorship policies before, “it was definitely interesting to see that performed on stage this evening.”

“It’s given me a lot of things to look into and learn more about,” she added.

Ms. Becker said that after learning that Shen Yun performs an all-new program every year, she is eager to return to the theater to see Shen Yun in the years to come.

“I’m gonna have to come back every year now to see what they have next and learn even more about the culture,” she said.

Ms. Becker also shared how she would recommend Shen Yun to her friends and family.

“Come here for a cultural experience. It’s absolutely beautiful. The art, the costuming, and the performance here, the talent that we see here, is not something that you get to experience every day here in America.”

“Definitely go out and see the Shen Yun performance and come experience it. And if you have seen Shen Yun in the past, come back and see their new performances because every year it’s something different.”

Ms. Becker had many kind words for Shen Yun’s performers and artistic director as well.

“You put on an absolutely fabulous show. Continue doing what you love and inspiring others all around you. It was so special to see your culture come to life.”

Reporting by Linda Li, NTD, and Wandi Zhu.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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