SALT LAKE CITY—Financial controller Barb Rowell and her son Manson, a high school student, shared a wonderful afternoon together at Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater on March 22.
“Oh, it’s beautiful! The dance moves are flowing. I love the [program] with the long sleeves. The costumes are divine,” Ms. Rowell exclaimed.
Shen Yun artists are highly trained in classical Chinese dance. Dating back thousands of years, it is one of the most athletic and expressive art forms in the world.
“That was interesting. I didn’t know that. It was really cool,” she remarked.
“I like the whole of the culture and the ethnicity and the five thousand years’ worth [of history.] America’s not even that old—that’s just amazing [China’s] got that heritage, that rich culture that goes back so far.”
The world’s leading classical Chinese dance and music company, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of the communist party.
Prior to the regime’s violent takeover and its spread of atheism, China was known as the Celestial Empire—a country deeply rooted in spirituality and the belief in the divine.
Ms. Rowell particularly enjoyed the solo performance by the baritone, who sang about the importance of preserving and upholding the moral values imparted by the divine.
“I love it. I love it. The guy that sang-that was amazing,” she shared. “That was deep and beautiful. I love spirituality. I love that connection to something greater than ourselves. It was beautiful.”
Summing up his experience, Ms. Rowell said the performance was beautifully put together.
“I have a lot of respect for the people that decided to come together and put this together. The time and effort would have taken is incredible,” she added.
