STAMFORD, Conn.—Jeffrey A. Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, thoroughly enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Palace Theatre on May 11.

“[Shen Yun] is one of the few occasions available today to experience traditional culture, both in its Western and Eastern sort,“ Mr. Tucker said. ”That makes it very special.”

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Now, with eight equally sized companies that tour the world simultaneously, Shen Yun is on a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and the beauty of “China before communism.”

“I think it’s a beautiful mission,” Mr. Tucker said. “Unfortunately, so much has been destroyed in the course of the 20th century; not just in China but in the United States and in Europe. And we need artistic societies to remind us of who we are and also to point to evidence of what we can be. So that inspiration was very much present in the performance tonight.” 

Mr. Tucker said that Shen Yun inspired him to want to learn more about Chinese history and that the performance was one Americans should see.

“I think it’s important because it’s a big world out there. Americans are sometimes not exposed to the fullness of it, especially the Chinese history. And to get this kind of all-encompassing, all-enveloping introduction to it, it helps broaden our minds and helps us think about things that are may be outside of our experience. And that’s, I think, important for Americans.” 

Shen Yun’s name means “the beauty of divine beings dancing,” and Mr. Tucker agreed that “divine is a good way to put it.”

“I think every faith and history has a vision that we can transcend our bodies and touch something that’s bigger and greater than ourselves, our Creator, and to be ultimately united with that, and that was very much present here,” he said.

Mr. Tucker expressed both appreciation and acknowledgment for the amount of work that he said Shen Yun’s dancers must put into their training.

“You can see the work that went behind it because it might look easy sometimes when you’re watching it, but it’s painful to think about how much skill and practice and work and care and love is behind that kind of performance. It’s very difficult; I mean, you hardly see it at all today really. But it’s beautiful to see it on display.”

Mr. Tucker also said that he could feel the energy of the performance.

“The energy of the show comes from love and faith and belief and a passion to live a better life and make the world more beautiful,” he said. “That was very evident.” 

Shen Yun’s performance includes songs performed in the traditional bel canto style.

Mr. Tucker praised the singing for being “intriguing and fascinating and performed with great dignity.“ He said that the song ”definitely had a message behind it,“ which he identified as ”the difference between good and evil, and clinging to the good as a pathway towards the divine.”

 Finally, Mr. Tucker had kind words for Shen Yun’s artistic director, D.F.

“It was beautifully put together just as an overall presentation. It kept you interested and kept you going. I find it remarkable that you could do a different show every year. I would just say that continue to introduce this diversity of Chinese culture, unite it with Western culture, and it’s a beautiful gift to us all.”

Reporting by NTD and Wandi Zhu.

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