SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Presents the Truth of Past and Present Day China to Prague

Mar 05, 2024

PRAGUE, Czech Republic—The audience of Prague saw the conclusion of five exciting performances of Shen Yun Performing Arts that took place from March 1–4.

“The performance was great. I will bring my children to the show so that they can see with their own eyes, or experience a little bit of what is happening currently in communist China,” said Jindrich Ullrich, a manager of a Czech stock company.

Mr. Ullrich found Shen Yun’s presentation of China before communism to be reassuring. He expressed that he appreciates the performance for presenting “not just what we get through official channels.”

Being aware that some of the artists still have family in China, he expressed his support for Shen Yun’s commitment to exposing the evils of communism.

“They don’t give up and they’re still fighting against it. Because, as I say, communism is a cancer and you have to keep fighting it. I believe that the good, as we see in the show, will always win in the end,” said Mr. Ullrich.

He was particularly struck by the dance depicting the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

“We see the reality that is happening there. We were shaken up by that. We got goosebumps watching it. Really, we had tears in our eyes,” said Mr. Ullrich.

Shen Yun is based in New York and its digital backdrop is patented technology that allows the stage to be extended endlessly.

“The connection between the animation and the real dance is amazing. It was breathtaking and beautiful,” said Mr. Ullrich.

Lilia Gerber at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Prague Congress Center on March 1, 2024. (NTD) — Lilia Gerber at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Prague Congress Center on March 1, 2024. NTD

Lilia Gerber came to see Shen Yun with her granddaughter on the evening of March 1.

“I’m really happy to be here. And I think this kind of art is perfect because there is a lot of history in it,” said Ms. Gerber, a psychotherapist.

Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese culture. Through classical Chinese dance and a live orchestra that includes instruments from the East and West, Shen Yun has been touching the hearts of audiences around the world since 2006.

“It’s not just art. It’s really history and art. And it’s really very profound. It touched my heart,” said Ms. Gerber.

Classical Chinese dance is made up of four categories; bearing, form, technique, and tumbling. Shen Yun’s dancers are not only proficient in their art, they also have a deep understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

“Very dynamic. It’s about the energy of the culture. It’s not just dancing, it’s about the energy of the people. It’s more than just dance. It’s really something special,” said Ms. Gerber.

One dance that spoke to Ms. Gerber on a personal level was “Dancing for Heaven,” a Mongolian ethnic dance.

“It really touched me because it was also something about my history,” revealed Ms Gerber.

Shen Yun’s program book says the Mongolian dance “pays tribute to the free spirit of the riders and their deep respect for the gods.”

“I am very close to Mongolia. Mongolia and China are neighbors. I also felt something inside me about the dance. I belong to the Tatar nationality. We stay all over the world and there is also a big area in China where Tatars live,” shared Ms. Gerber.

Reporting by NTD and Maria Han.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.