FORT SMITH, Ark.—Dustin Van Cleave, a retired rancher turned investor, brought his wife to Shen Yun Performing Arts’ evening show at the Fort Smith Convention Center on March 19. The experience was everything he had hoped it would be.
“It’s great so far. We love it. It’s beautiful,” Mr. Van Cleave shared during intermission. “It’s wonderful. My wife is enjoying it a lot.”
He was thoroughly impressed by the company’s 3D
animated backdrop that collaborated with the dancers on stage to bring ancient Chinese stories to life.
“It’s fantastic,” Mr. Van Cleave said. “I don’t know how to put it into words. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who fled
persecution, the New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated to reviving the beauty and virtues of pre-communist China. Its performance takes the audience through China’s dynasties and legends, while also raising awareness for the human rights issues in present-day China.
Mr. Van Cleave is aware of the persecution of the people of faith in present-day China and hopes that through Shen Yun, people can be inspired to make a change for the better. He appreciates that the artists are bringing this issue to people’s attention all over the world.
“We’ve heard a lot of these things, a lot of the challenges that people in China have. [
Shen Yun] brings it to light. So, we get to see it with our own eyes a little bit,” he expressed.
“We see [
persecution] on smaller scales in countries like ours, but it could be coming our way if people don’t pay attention and do something about it now. It’s on a much larger and more devastating scale in China, but it could be our future too, if people don’t pay attention.”
Mr. Van Cleave believes that everyone “needs to see it for sure.”
Shen Yun “helps you keep in mind to not take your rights for granted and to enjoy your freedoms.”
However, due to the artists’ focus on reviving traditional culture and presenting the truth of events under communist rule in present-day China, they are currently forbidden by the regime from performing in China.
Summing up his experience in three words, Mr. Van Cleave said the evening was “terrific, wonderful, and beautiful.”
“I’m excited to see the second half. I’ve only seen the first half, but I think so far, it’s just a reminder of what a beautiful culture there was in China,” he said. It’s a pity that’s “not being expressed now or enjoyed the way that it could be because of an oppressive government.”
This season, Shen Yun’s
eight touring companies are bringing their stunning performances to over 200 cities worldwide. With a brand-new program each year, the company’s 19th anniversary marks another season full of fresh surprises for both first-time and returning audiences alike.
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
