AUSTIN—Retired U.S. Army colonel Phil Waldron watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Long Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 29.
“Artistically, I really like the [dancing],” said Col. Waldron. “I’m an old guy, so I just like to enjoy the beauty.”
Based in New York,
Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception in 2006, it has grown from one to eight equally-sized companies that tour the world simultaneously. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese civilization and to show the world the beauty of China before communism.
Col. Waldron said that during his career in the military, he had the opportunity to learn about both pre- and post-communist China.
“It’s very important to see what things could be like in a communist-free China, [and] to bring back a lot of the rich heritage of the culture,” he said.
In addition to dance vignettes, 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
Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Col. Waldron said that the persecution was something that he not only pays attention to but deals with.
Besides the dancing, Col. Wardon also complimented the music performed by Shen Yun’s
live orchestra, which is a unique combination of traditional Chinese and Western instruments.
“The music is very engaging, so I like it,” he said. “The way it got put together with all the choreography is very, very nice.”
Traditional Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the spiritual teachings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
Shen Yun portrays the connection the ancient Chinese had with the divine.
“All the symbology of heaven and earth is very beautiful,” Col. Waldron said. He added that it was very important for today’s people to see the divine being portrayed.
“They don’t understand the importance of a greater being, the creator,” he said. “To think that there’s not a divine creation is a bit egotistical.”
Col. Waldron thought Shen Yun’s patented
animated backdrop was very interesting. The backdrop allows performers to move seamlessly between the stage and background, producing an effect that Col. Waldron described as something that might be seen in kung fu movies.
