PORTLAND, Ore.—Dave Fritzler, the owner of multiple businesses and a father of four, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Keller Auditorium on Jan. 21 with his wife, Michelle, and their friend, Arion Corzo, a general contractor from Washington.
This was their first time experiencing Shen Yun, and they were thoroughly impressed.
“The dancers are just incredible and the choreography is awesome,” he said. Sitting close to the stage, it was easy for them to see all the facial expressions of the dancers. He loved how well the dance and music came together as a whole and complemented each other.
Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Its New York-based artists are dedicated to reviving the beauty and goodness of China before communism.
Mr. Fritlzer was especially moved by the story dance piece raising awareness for the ongoing persecution of the people of faith in China by the communist party.
“How the people persevere through that suppression and through faith, and continue to overcome that regime of suppression—that amazes me. That’s incredible that people do that. They believe what they’re doing and they’ve died for it,” he said.
“I don’t understand what are [the communist regime] afraid of. I commend those with the faith and the perseverance to stand up to that and I certainly hope that this [resistance] continues and the powers that be would change their hearts.”
Mr. Corzo couldn’t agree more and added that seeing the persecution depicted in the performance reminded him to cherish the freedom, peace, and blessings of America.
Due to Shen Yun’s focus on reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth of events under communist rule in present-day China, it is currently forbidden by the regime to perform in China.
Reflecting on the artists’ mission to bring back traditional culture and values, Mr. Fritzler said, “It’s very important and we should be open-minded” about different cultures. Seeing it through performance and dance had made the experience very enjoyable for him.
Mrs. Fritzler, too, loved how diverse the performance.
“It’s beautiful and if we’re all the same, how boring would the world be? So, we appreciate the beauty and the expression—it moves you to tears,” she added.
“As far as cultures or governments that restrict belief or cultures, when you want to stamp out a fire, it just causes the sparks to spread so it’s unwise and naive for them to think that they can suppress people’s faith and the beauty of art and dance.”
For its 2024 touring season, Shen Yun’s eight equally-sized companies will be performing in over 200 cities across five continents. Met with wide acclaim since its establishment in 2006, the company can be expected to return each year with a brand-new set of choreography and musical compositions.
