NEW YORK CITY—Kevin Nesbitt was able to fulfill a wish of his mother’s when he took the family out to see Shen Yun Performing Arts at Lincoln Center for the performing arts group’s penultimate performance in New York City this season on April 12.
“I was able to take my mom and her two sisters. One is visiting from Jamaica and my sister came with me. So we all came as a family, the five of us. And something my mom’s been wanting to do for at least seven or eight years; she’s been talking about coming so we made it happen today, so we’re excited,” said Mr. Nesbitt, a university dean.
“I loved it. The colors, the history, the creation stories, and the way that we got to hear a part of China that I think a lot of times modern history has allowed us to forget,” he said.
“I love the way they incorporated storytelling and dance and then also shared the importance of dance as a form of understanding story and understanding history and understanding movement,” Mr. Nesbitt said.
“Then my mom tapped me in the middle of it and said, ‘you can’t stop love no matter what,’” Mr. Nesbitt said. “That’s true.”
“It’s an alternative way to look at history and to understand the struggles of different people. And I think we’re all, all of us, despite whether someone is an atheist, an evolutionist, or a Christian or a Buddhist or whatever, there’s still a desire to understand and make meaning of life,” he said.
Traditional Chinese culture is a divinely inspired culture, and Shen Yun programs include depictions of heavenly scenes and stories with divine beings.
“This is another way to look at and understand life and the struggles of life. And so I thought it was extremely valuable,” he said. “It was a valuable one. And it’s gorgeous.”
