DETROIT—John Valenzuela, an aerospace engineer, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Detroit Opera House on Feb. 8.
“The show was wonderful,” Mr. Valenzuela said. “It was amazing at all levels. Beautiful choreography, the dancers were beautiful, and the stories were amazing ... Excellent humor throughout.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Since its inception in 2006, Shen Yun’s mission has been to revive traditional Chinese culture and share with audiences the beauty of “China before communism.”
“I thought that was really, really worthwhile seeing because, to me, all I know of China is communism,” Mr. Valenzuela said. “I’ve never known that there was a belief in the spiritual world until now, and it’s really something else—it’s amazing.”Shen Yun’s program includes story-based dances, some of which are set in modern-day China and depict the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Mr. Valenzuela shared his thoughts on the importance of people’s religious freedom.
“They have to stop persecuting people of all religions, of anything that lifts you out of the normal physical world to something transcendent. It should be promoted and it should be more than tolerated; it should be allowed to be practiced freely.”
Shen Yun’s eight equally-sized companies tour the world simultaneously. Mr. Valenzuela believes that “anybody who watches [Shen Yun] with an open mind is going to come away understanding something about China that they probably didn’t know before.”
“Changing the global perspective on what China was like before communism is a big deal in terms of having people understand [that] when you do business with the Chinese Communist Party, you are helping empower the people who have suppressed a beautiful tradition that stretches back thousands of years.”
Chinese culture is deeply rooted in the spiritual teachings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism—elements that Shen Yun’s performance depicts.
“I thought it was really uplifting and I really appreciate that there is an element of the divine, that there’s a transcendent theme throughout the performance. It lifts you out of the physical world to something greater,” Mr. Valenzuela said.
“This show ... gives you a window into how other cultures view the divine. Coming from a Western culture, we have a very specific Judeo-Christian view of the divine, and seeing this performance shows you that other cultures also have a view of the divine that is very similar ... It really shows that there’s a unity in the Western views of religion, and the Eastern as well. I thought it was great,” he added.
“I can see ... [how] even somebody who comes to the show who doesn’t have a spiritual view can come away with at least a seed planted in the mind that, wow, maybe there is something beyond this world,” he said.
Captivated by the performance, Mr. Valenzuela could feel the energy from the performers on stage.
“There’s a ton of energy, and it comes from the dancers and the audience together,” Mr. Valenzuela said. “The whole experience was electrifying. Never a dull moment, never. You’re 100 percent paying attention all the time.”
“The dancers, you can tell that they’re really into it. They’re really charged up, electrified, wanting to give a good performance, and they really believe in what they’re doing ... It seems like it’s something more than just a job.”
Mr. Valenzuela also expressed his appreciation for Shen Yun and Shen Yun’s artistic director, D.F.
“Excellent job. From the bottom of my heart, please keep doing what you’re doing. You’re reaching people through the performing arts and showing them a side of China that they probably haven’t seen before. Please, please keep going.”
