BATON ROUGE, La.—Rebecca Caldwell, a senior vice president at a global IT company, and her husband, David, an attorney, were amazed by their first experience of Shen Yun Performing Arts. The performance was held on the evening of Jan. 11 at the Baton Rouge River Center Theatre.
“It was beautiful,” said Mrs. Caldwell. “My first impression was with the colors and the costumes and how elegant the dance was. My second impression would have been the level of
gymnastics used. That was very impressive.”
Based in New York, Shen Yun
presents a brand-new selection of dance pieces, musical compositions, and solo performances each season. The company takes its audience on a journey through time and space, rediscovering the beauty and traditional values of pre-communist China.
Mrs. Caldwell especially enjoyed the solo performance by Shen Yun’s singer and thought the lyrics were very touching. “Her voice made my ears feel wonderful—touching,” she expressed.
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.
Mr. Caldwell, too, loved the performance. He especially liked “the dance moves that the male dancers were doing that resembled
martial arts.”
“I thought it’s very athletic, it’s very beautiful. I know from experience it’s very difficult to do, and the production overall is just really fantastic,” he added.
“I also really enjoyed seeing the actors [collaborate] with the [3D
backdrop.] I thought that when they jump off stage, they fly away— I’ve just never seen that before. It’s very nice to see a quality show that’s cultural in nature.”
Reflecting on the show’s presentation of the
spiritual aspect of traditional Chinese culture, Mrs. Caldwell said it’s something she’s never heard of before. Watching Shen Yun made her “very curious about what the Chinese culture divine heaven is like.”
Endowed with 5,000 years of history, China was once known as the “Land of the Divine.” For millenniums, its people believed that by keeping their hearts pure and adhering to strict moral standards, they will be blessed by the divine.
Indeed, for 5,000 years, the country prospered. However, after the communist takeover and its spread of atheism, all this traditional culture was systematically destroyed. Today, Shen Yun’s mission is to bring back this divine tradition.
For Mr. Caldwell, Shen Yun was far more than just an ordinary performance—it “delivered a very positive and beautiful message.” He emphasized the importance of such experiences, because “beauty is what speaks to our souls.”
Reporting by Sherry Dong and Jennifer Tseng.
