SALT LAKE CITY, Utah—The audience at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater enthusiastically celebrated an all-new season of Shen Yun Performing Arts on March 19 through 22.
“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,” Ms. Rowell said.
Shen Yun “was “a great representation of the values that the Chinese in America can bring to the world and to demonstrate traditional Chinese culture,” according to Navy officer Chris Arnold.
“It’s impressive to blend the Western instruments with the traditional Chinese instruments,” he said. “I was especially impressed by the erhu, she was amazing. That’s a very difficult instrument to play.”
Shen Yun’s orchestra also inspired John Paul Hayward, a composer.
One of the dances shows the persecution of Falun Gong believers in China. Kat Connolly, a math teacher, was deeply moved.
“I feel bad for the Chinese when they’re persecuted for their faith, and that they’re not openly able to express that. That breaks my heart,” she said.
Message of Kindness
Shen Yun’s spiritual message moved many in the audience. Chief Operating Officer Kurt Fisher said felt Shen Yun conveyed “the beauty of culture and the beauty of the humankind” as well as a “message of kindness.”An engineer, Dan Gillespie has seen Shen Yun three times. “I love the music, I love the dancing and the costumes and everything. And I also want to support Chinese culture that’s not communist,” he said.
The artists “were so uplifting to all of us. It gave joy and hope and happiness to all of the audience,” said retired U.S. Army Colonel Dr. Adele Young.
Wendy Rogers, founder and CEO of her company, said the performers’ “spirit and inner joy was captured on stage beautifully.”
Genealogist and historian Lynch Schacht has a deeper understanding of history than most audience members and she shared what she saw.
“I was enthralled with the show. I just really loved the flow of the history and the restoration of the history to show what real China was like. It illustrated the root of the Chinese dynasty belief. It was so magnificent and so on target with things that I have studied in ancient history,” she said.
“I love Shen Yun’s mission,” Ian Howes, a content manager and platform analyst, said. “There’s so much [of Chinese culture] worth preserving, so many great stories to tell, and so much hope and love that can be shared with the world through this performance.”
“Come see it. It’s beautiful. It’s wonderful to come see the different culture, and it’s wonderful to see the dancers and the precision, and to just celebrate all of the hard work. And it’s very wonderful to see other traditions, experience other cultures,” Mr. Hayward said.
There are still opportunities to see Shen Yun in Denver, Colo. in April.
