FOLSOM, Calif.—A genuine smile cannot be forced, and Nicole Pucci saw genuine smiles all around the auditorium while she was experiencing
Shen Yun Performing Arts.
“I don’t think one person wasn’t smiling or captivated ... I won’t be able to wipe the smile off my face, and I’m going to encourage everybody to come see. It’s just a beautiful, moving performance. Thank you so much.” said Ms. Pucci, who has been a cosmetologist for 22 years.
Shen Yun is based in New York, and its
mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Ms. Pucci shared that her daughter is highly interested in Chinese culture, which is what brought them to see Shen Yun.
“I didn’t look up online what [Shen Yun] was going to be like. My daughter is obsessed with
Chinese culture, and it’s always been a big part of my family and history. We just really enjoy it, and so I didn’t even know what I was going to come and watch, and I was blown away from the opening to the end,” shared Ms. Pucci.
Shen Yun’s artists are trained in
classical Chinese dance, one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world.
“There was no dull moment, and the male dancers did just as phenomenal as the female dancers. Sometimes that doesn’t happen with
ballet you know? One is stronger than the other. [With Shen Yun] they were both just as strong. It was captivating,” said Ms. Pucci.
Classical Chinese dance is a very expressive form of dance. From the body movements to the facial expression, every detail is tailor-made to the character being portrayed.
“Every moment, from the music to the facial expressions, it’s like they’re all smiling from their hearts, not [just] with their faces. It’s just beautiful,” said Ms. Pucci.
The artists of Shen Yun are all
dedicated to their mission. They believe that freedom of expression should be available to everyone and that those who are oppressed in China should be given a voice.
“Keep doing what you’re doing—there wasn’t a single person that did not give it their all. I feel so blessed, and it touched me tremendously. And I know it [touched] my mother and my daughter also, and all the people around me,” expressed Ms. Pucci.
Ms. Pucci noted that she feels fortunate to be living in America because of this nation’s duty to uphold
human rights.
“Everybody should be free to express themselves. We’re so fortunate here, and in so many countries, including China, they’re not free, and we take that for granted, and we want them to be free also,” she said.
Reporting by Lily Yu and Maria Han.
