DAYTON, Ohio—On January 3, Jack Shirley, the former mayor of Vandalia, Ohio, celebrated his 87th birthday with his family at the Schuster Performing Arts Center by attending
Shen Yun Performing Arts. The family had a wonderful time.
Mr. Shirley, who devoted 30 years to the Naval Reserve with the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, played a part in the original establishment of the theater.
He was very happy to see
good shows like Shen Yun perform at the theater.
“We’re glad that [Shen Yun] is here—that they were able to put this together and give us such a good show. It was very good,” he exclaimed.
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier
classical Chinese dance and music company. Their mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of traditional culture that had been all but destroyed under the rule of the Chinese communist regime.
The performance is comprised of a series of short pieces that take its audience on a ride through the dynasties and across the vast regions of China.
Using classical Chinese, folk, and ethnic dances, as well as solo musical performances, Shen Yun tells tales from
ancient times to the modern day.
Thanks to the explanation and information given by Shen Yun’s bilingual hosts at the beginning of each program, Mr. Shirley said the storyline was very easy to follow and understand.
“I really enjoyed it,” Mr. Shirely expressed. “I was sitting there with my knees going up and down with the
music. It was really nice. I enjoyed it very much.”
Mr. Shirley’s son-in-law Sean Coffey, who is an electrical engineer, also thought Shen Yun was “a fantastic experience.”
“There were all kinds of emotions that went around—you experience some excitement, some sadness, and a variety of joy. You get to see a variety of things that happen,” he said, adding that the dancers’ use of their
costumes and props to express themselves was very unique.
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.
According to the company’s website, the classical Chinese dance we see in China today is heavily mixed with military and modern dance styles. Only at Shen Yun can you find it performed in its purest form—the way it was originally passed down through the generations.
Mr. Coffrey also loved Shen Yun’s theme of
spirituality and divinity, stating that “it was a fantastic message.”
“It was a good message to leave the whole audience with. We’re all human beings, and we’re all on this earth together,” he said. People who haven’t seen
Shen Yun, “You got to come down and see it. It’s fantastic.”
Reporting by NTD and Jennifer Tseng.
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