COLUMBIA, S.C.—A century ago, China was free from communism, but in 1949, that changed when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took control via force and went on to destroy 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture. Now, most people don’t see China beyond the CCP anymore. Shen Yun Performing Arts has made it
its mission to revive this lost heritage.
“[
Shen Yun] has made me a little more open to other cultures and the trials and tribulations of other peoples,” said Scott Adams, the director of food service at Harvest Hope Food Bank.
Shen Yun is based in
New York, and since 2006, it has been using its art as a voice to communicate what China was like before communism. The CCP has banned Shen Yun from performing in China.
“I love the fact that they are attempting to revive centuries-old traditions. And the fact that they are brave enough to do this and express themselves in that way and try and revive those traditions is admirable,” remarked Mr. Adams.
Mr. Adams’ wife, Allison Adams, an operations executive in a skincare manufacturing company, was also in the audience.
“I love what this group is trying to do—speaking their story and keeping alive the culture that isn’t supported in China,” expressed Mrs. Adams.
With 12 years of ballet experience, she said that
Shen Yun dancers‘ ability to make every movement look effortless must have taken a lot of hard work to achieve.
“I was a ballet dancer for a lot of years growing up, so looking at the dancers that make it look so effortless, I know how hard the work is. I thought the men’s and women’s traditional cultural dances were amazing,” said Mrs. Adams.
Shen Yun takes famous stories from China’s 5,000 years of
history and turns them into exciting dances.
“I thought the stories told in some of the dances were powerful and poignant. It was entertainment for all the senses. I thought it was incredible,” said Mrs. Adams.
Shen Yun’s dancers are trained in
classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world. This dance form requires female dancers to be light on their feet and graceful. The men must portray strength and valor.
Mrs. Adams expressed her admiration for “the gracefulness of the women. I know how hard it is to get your leg all the way up there and make things look so beautiful. The jumps and the moves by the men were strong and intense. It was all beautiful.”
The couple sat in the front row, which allowed them to see every expression and gesture of
the dancers on stage.
“We were right by the orchestra, and we got to see everything firsthand. The emotions on the faces [of] the dancers ... we saw it all,” shared Mr. Adams.
Reporting by Sherry Dong and Maria Han.
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