SAN FRANCISCO—As a real estate company owner, Mary Ann Cadorna is no stranger to stunning designs and visuals. Yet, she was immediately captivated when the curtain rose for Shen Yun Performing Arts’ matinee on Jan. 5.
In the lobby of the War Memorial Opera House, Ms. Cadorna said the show was “extraordinary.”
“It’s beautiful. [Shen Yun] shows the beauty and grace and the pureness of humanity before corruption defiled man,” she said.
The dancers were “extraordinary. Very disciplined and with grace—the gracefulness was incredible. To take that discipline and convert it into such flowing movements—it’s a beauty to watch. I was very touched.”
According to the company 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.
For her, Shen Yun’s depiction of humanity is “as we were meant to be” prior to being destroyed by evil, power, envy, and hate.”
“It was pure—beautiful and pure. It’s the beauty and grace before man was corrupted,” she elaborated.
“We should be able to live in dignity and grace with respect for each other. [We should remember] that we are divine in spirit. When we forget that, we forget our humanity.”
Ms. Cadorna also loved Shen Yun’s live musical performances and said that culture and music go hand in hand.
The singers “were very nice. It’s nice to have the [English] translations,” she said.
“The message is to show us that we’re all divine, and if we don’t forget that, we can live in a better place. The world would be a better place.”
Ms. Cadorna plans to tell all her friends that if they don’t see Shen Yun, “they’ll be missing out on a beautiful part of humanity.”
