TOULON, France—When psychologist Patricia Fileri went to see the Shen Yun Performing Arts at Le Zénith on Saturday, April 5, she found herself immersed “in a very special world” that was “very magical.”
Although she had already heard of Shen Yun and seen a few videos of the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, Mrs. Fileri said she was still “really pleasantly surprised” by the performance.
The psychologist experienced a feeling of escape during the two-hour show, “and at the same time a lot of serenity, a lot of philosophy.
“There was also a lot of joy, a lot of funny anecdotes, but also a lot of professionalism in the show. You can see that the dancers look very simple like that. They move lightly, but you can feel all the hard work that goes into achieving perfection.
Mrs. Fileri was accompanied by her husband, Dominique, a general agent, who found “everything magical” in the performance.
“And when you see China like this, it’s great, it’s wonderful,” he said.
“As my wife said, everything looks easy, but it’s very hard,” adds Mr. Fileri, who felt “well-being, an energy” during the Shen Yun performance.
The psychologist also felt a special connection, “this kind of light that picked us up at the bottom, that refocused us, and this depth too, of stability, of this luminous presence.”
“To be invaded by this luminous force, it would be nice if everyone could feel that,” Mrs. Fileri hoped, ”to perhaps say to ourselves that well, maybe we can transform ourselves a little too, think of humanity and not just ourselves. To be a bit in touch with what’s divine in us, that divine part of us. And try to rediscover it, to feel it deep down. And the show plays a big part in that.
“Given what’s happening today, it was really a suspended moment, of joy, warmth, gentleness too,” Mrs. Fileri said, looking forward “with strength” to the Creator’s coming to earth to save humanity, as in a scene from the show.
“It’s a show that brings a lot of messages, there are a lot of symbols,” Mrs. Fileri said. “Symbols, messages that have been repeated in each scene, in fact, if you look closely.”
“We need the material, but that’s not the real joy. The real, profound joy lies in rediscovering this energy within ourselves, this love of others, this mutual aid, as we saw it: the young [characters] were helping someone who had fallen, and so on. That’s what it’s all about, having that drive towards others, and not that combativeness or negativity, in fact.”
“It’s wonderful,” Mr. Fileri said. And his wife concluded: “We’re very grateful.
At the same performance, surgeon Charly Bessadier had invited his wife to see the performance for a special occasion.
“It’s my husband’s birthday present to me,” said Jeanne Bessadier, an osteopath. “So we came to see it together today, and we’re really happy. It’s a really great show with beautiful costumes.”
“I’m also an amateur dancer, so it’s a real pleasure to discover another style of dance, and especially other costumes. I think they’re really fabulous,” she said. “They [the dancers] have a crazy technicality, and it makes you want to reach that level.
“It’s moving,” added her husband. “Yes, it’s colorful, it’s really a treat to watch, and especially with the interactive screen behind it. So it’s very interesting.”
“It’s quite impressive to see the fluidity of the movements and the fact that you can’t hear anything in the fallout,” he said.
Mrs. Bessadier really felt spirituality come through in the performance. “I’m really happy and moved to see this.”
As for the benevolence and kindness he felt, “it makes you feel the inner strength of each character, of each dancer.”
For the surgeon, Shen Yun brings to our world “benevolence, reconnection with culture, and precisely with the divinities and the links between people which must be articulated around dance and emotions.”
“I find it transmits good emotions,” Mrs. Bessadier said. “It’s caring, it gives love, it transmits beautiful things.”
