Shen Yun Shows Us That We’re More Together Than Apart, Says Company Owner
SHARE
FOLSOM, Calif.—Doug Holt, the president of a financial firm, found out about Shen Yun Performing Arts on social media and decided to attend the company’s opening show at the Harris Center on Jan. 14.
This was Mr. Holt’s first time watching the performance, and he thought Shen Yun "fantastic.”
“The dance is amazing, and the stories are amazing, and the technology is astounding. It’s beautiful,” he said.
Mr. Holt loved the story-based dance that depicted a young man falling in love with a beautiful fairy and, through trials and hardships, finally found a way to be together—the original story of the Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Based in New York, 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.
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.
Speaking of the artists’ mission to bring back China’s millennia of divinely inspired culture that were destroyed in the decades of communist rule, Mr. Holt said he is definitely supportive.
“It’s amazing, [America’s] history is 200 years old, the Chinese is 5,000. It’s amazing to see the difference,” he commented.
“I think bringing the tradition back [through dance and music] is very pleasing. I think people can understand the empathy and the fight. It’s cool.”
Mr. Holt further expressed that, as an American, he could empathize with the performers’ determination to stand against human rights violations in present-day China and speak the truth.
Reflecting on modern society, he remarked, “Everybody is fighting. [Seeing Shen Yun] validates us for fighting the good fight.”
Also enjoying the performance was Chara Slavensky, a business owner. She loved Shen Yun’s depiction of the Creator coming to earth to bring humans back to heaven.
“We’re all going to have an eternal life. [Shen Yun] brought tears to my eyes because it makes me get in touch with my spirituality and my faith,” Ms. Slaveensky said.
Shen Yun “showed me how we’re so similar, we’re more together than apart,” she added, referring to the traditional values that the performers demonstrated throughout the show.
She was also very moved by Shen Yun’s singer. Since Ms. Slavensky could not understand Chinese, the translated lyrics displayed on the 3D backdrop were extremely helpful.
“That was very touching to me. When I was reading, that’s where I got [a sense] that all of us are more the same than we are different.”
Shen Yun’s singers are trained in the classical bel canto—a style known for its ability to create tones of unparalleled beauty and purity. Through original compositions and lyrics, the artists invite the listener to explore the deeper meanings of life.
Ms. Slavensky will definitely be recommending Shen Yun to all her friends.
“I don’t know other than it’s just magical. You have to come and see it yourself. I think you can’t describe it. You have to experience it because each person will understand it differently. So you just need to come,” she said.