Mr. Brighton felt deep emotions during the performance. “It’s beautiful. It fixes the heart. I’m not often crying, but it’s a happy cry,” he said.
He said there were so many aspects of traditional culture presented on stage: being from the heart and childlike, as well as the true feminine and masculine. “It’s all very much in there,” he said.
“It’s the beauty, the innocence, and the wonder [of traditional culture.] What’s happened [in modern times] has been been corrupted and manipulated,” he said.
“This is just wonderful in seeing how we are connected to the divine,” said Ms. Rossington. “I love it. I’m having a wonderful time.”
“I particularly liked the one about the Falun Dafa, with the student and his love being separated and thrown in prison, and the injustice of what’s happening still right now in China. It really does affect your heart because it shouldn’t be happening. It’s a crime against humanity.”
As the dance showed the student being rescued by the divine, Ms. Rossington said she felt a strong energy.
“And if you can connect to that energy, you get back to your true essence, don’t you? And I think we’ve all been disconnected from that with many things in our culture, especially in the West,” she said.
“He was wonderful. I loved his voice and the pianist as well. Very talented musicians,” Ms. Rossington said.
“Amazing talent you have here. We’ll be telling the students at the Shen Dao Sanctuary about Shen Yun.”
To the performers, Ms. Rossington said, “Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us. It’s just amazing. It touches our hearts. It lifts us. And you’re spreading the joy of what China has to offer pre-communism and what it can be again.”
