UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill.—Mark Szczepanski, a retired business owner, watched Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University on March 10.
“I love to see how athletic and how creative they are, and I love the theme of what they’re saying,” said Mr. Szczepanski. “It’s really a treat.”
New York-based Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists who made it their mission to revive traditional Chinese culture through authentic classical Chinese dance and music and to show audiences around the world the beauty and goodness of China before communism.
“To see that they have to live in communism, I just don’t think it’s right,” said Mr. Szczepanski of those living in modern-day China, where Shen Yun is not allowed to perform. He added that he believes that the underlying message within Shen Yun’s performance is that “this is our heritage, and we’re able to do this here, but we can’t do it [in China].”
“I think they just want to express the history of China, which I think is great.”
While multiple elements of Shen Yun’s production stood out to Mr. Szczepanski, Shen Yun’s patented animated backdrop impressed him the most. The backdrop, which has long been a favorite among audiences, allows performers to move seamlessly between the stage and the background.
Shen Yun’s opening program depicts the traditional Chinese belief that Chinese culture was a gift from the heavens—divine beings follow the Creator down to earth to establish Chinese civilization. Mr. Szczepanski was very touched by what he saw as soon as the curtains rose.
“It stirred my heart and my spirit because I thought, this is what it’s all about,” he said. “We’ve just got it so screwed up in this world ... but I love the way the theme is [in Shen Yun], I love the way that there was a heavenly father … So yes, I think it’s great.”
Reporting by Sherry Dong and Wandi Zhu.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
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