KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Pamela Skarda, a prayer associate, has been returning to see
Shen Yun Performing Arts every year since first learning about the company. What keeps her coming back is not just its beauty and artistry—she describes the experience as “a triumph of the human soul.”
“I come back every year that it is available since I first saw the show because it is the most phenomenal performance I have ever seen in my life. It is a triumph to the human soul. It is an illumination of spirit on stage and it is utterly the most perfect performance I have ever seen,” she praised.
“The unity and the harmony and the synchronization of the performers is majestic. It is phenomenal. It is a must-see performance in your life. That is why I come back—the pageantry, the performance, the spirit, the colors, the technique,
the music, the harmony, the unison—it is God dancing.”
Ms. Skarda’s friend, Steven Sanders, a retired federal agency officer, joined her at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on March 13 to celebrate his retirement. Attending the performance for the second time, he found it even more captivating than before.
“I saw it from the balcony tonight and that gave me perspective on all of the movements on the stage that I didn’t have the first time. It was much more enlivening and rich to be able to see the full perspective and hear the music up there tonight. It was extraordinary,” he said.
Founded in 2006 by elite Chinese artists who fled persecution, the New York-based Shen Yun is dedicated
to reviving the beauty and virtues of pre-communist China. Its performance takes the audience through China’s dynasties and legends, while also raising awareness for the ongoing human rights challenges in present-day China.
The two friends loved the ancient Chinese legends brought to life through the story-based dances. Mr. Sanders, in particular, was drawn to the tale of a young man who fell in love with a fairy. Against all odds, their love endured.
“To the degree on this earth that you can reach mastery or perfection, that’s what this particular crew [achieved]. ... It seemed like this one has reached that point of mastery where they are just excellent. If you can compare this crew to Olympic athletes, they’re that caliber because dancing
is athletic,” Mr. Sanders said.
“We had a virtuoso
singer, and we had a virtuoso performer on that two-stringed instrument— but everybody else [in Shen Yun] were virtuosos too. So, it was just this really magical event because of all their talent.”
In addition to classical Chinese, ethnic, and folk dances, a Shen Yun performance features musical programs, including singers trained in the classical bel canto style and a solo on the erhu—a 4,000-year-old Chinese instrument known for its ability to convey a vast range of emotions.
Lastly, Mr. Sanders would like to tell all the
performers: “Thank you for mastering your craft and thank you for giving your entire life to this particular endeavor. Not only is this your expression, but it’s you expressing the divine on this planet, and what a gift to give your life to it.”
Shen Yun “gives me a sense, as I open the next chapter of my life, that there is something more awaiting me.”
Reporting by Yeawen Hung and Jennifer Tseng.
