SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Audience Member Believes There Is Wisdom to Be Learned From Chinese History

Apr 05, 2024

SEATTLE—History is a lesson to everyone who takes time to learn from it but for people in China, history is distorted, making the positive lessons from history nearly impossible to come by.

Fiona Hyslop, a retired Boeing administrative executive, believes that Shen Yun Performing Arts should be seen, “because you learn something. It’s about the history of China.”

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

“I think the long history of China has always impressed me the most. And I think trying to preserve that and capture it in this performance is very important,” said Greg Hyslop, a retired Boeing engineer.

Shen Yun is dedicated to presenting to audiences what China was like before communism.

“Some of us knew about it beforehand, but modern-day kids today wouldn’t know. All they ever hear is all the anti-stuff on TV about anti-China this and anti-China that. They don’t remember or wouldn’t know of what is here. So I think this is a great way to get it out,” remarked Mrs. Hyslop.

Greg and Fiona Hyslop at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, in Seattle, on April 4, 2024. (Echo Liu/The Epoch Times) — Greg and Fiona Hyslop at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, in Seattle, on April 4, 2024. Echo Liu/The Epoch Times

Mr. Hyslop believes that a history that is so long and rich is full of value. He feels that it’s a pity that Shen Yun cannot be seen in China.

“It’s too bad the people of China can’t experience this, but I’m glad we can. Because a culture that goes back that far in history needs to be preserved,” he said.

Compared to China, America is a young country with a lot of room to develop. Mr. Hyslop shared that America could gain through learning from the history of older nations.

“America’s history is so short that I think there’s wisdom to be gained from cultures that go back millennia and so I think there’s just wisdom there that all people can benefit from,” he said.

Shen Yun’s dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.

“I think it’s beautiful. I really do. I think it’s very clever, very artistic,” said Mrs. Hyslop.

The dancers can shine individually, but they can also dance as one. Mrs. Hyslop was highly impressed with the synchronicity they displayed.

“They’re all exactly synchronized—every leg, every arm is in exactly the same place on each individual, and they’re so quiet. You don’t hear them landing, you know, in ballet, you very often hear the feet but you don’t hear the feet in this,” she said.

Reporting by Echo Liu and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.