SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Is ‘A Real Gift That You’ve Given to Our Community,’ Says California Mayor

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COSTA MESA, Calif.—John Stephens, the mayor of Costa Mesa, is a proud promoter of the arts. On March 16, he eagerly attended Shen Yun’s matinee at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. This marked the company’s fourth show at the theater.

He brought with him a certificate of recognition to welcome and honor the artists for their efforts.

“I loved the show; it was beautiful. It’s wonderful to have this great culture in Costa Mesa because we’re the city of the arts,” Mr. Stephens exclaimed.

“I liked how colorful [the performance] was. The dancing was beautiful and the multimedia—how they bring live action [together] with the animation—it was really quite something.”

Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by New York-based artists dreaming of reviving and sharing with the world China’s 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture. Its eight equally-sized companies are slated to visit over 200 cities this year.

The mayor especially enjoyed the story-based dance recounting a scene from the classical Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” Paired with the company’s patented digital technology that seamlessly extends the stage into the 3D world—it brings to the audience a whole new level of storytelling.

“The Monkey King fighting the devil—boy, that was really fun. That’s the one where you saw most of the animation and the live-action work together,” he said.

“The dancers were wonderful. They were so expressive. Every dance had a theme, and every dance was telling [us] something. To be able to see that expressed through dance, beautiful colors, and beautiful costumes was really a great thing.”

Following the communist takeover of China in 1949, Chinese traditional culture was systematically eradicated by the ruling regime. According to the company’s website, Shen Yun returns each year with a brand-new set of programs that showcases the beauty of “China before communism.”

Referring to the spiritual aspect of the performance, Mr. Stephens said he was very intrigued by the ancient Chinese belief that everybody originated from the heavens.

“There was divinity on that stage for sure,” he said.

“Unfortunately, this show [can’t perform in China.] I think it’s terrible. Everybody should be able to see this beautiful artwork and dancing. It’s a shame that people in [China] can’t see it.”

Due to Shen Yun’s focus on reviving traditional culture and its dedication to exposing the ongoing human rights issues in present-day China, it is currently banned from touring there by the Chinese Communist Party.

“I wish they could see it and see what kind of impact it has on the community. Costa Mesa is very multicultural. I was sitting there and thinking of all the different cultures that we have in this city. We’ve got a real melting pot here,” Mr. Stephens reflected.

“Having this performance come here is really special, and it’s really on brand with our multicultural city. I would say thank you [to the performers] for bringing your art to Costa Mesa. I admire you. I could never do what you can do, and it’s a real gift that you’ve given to our community.”

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