SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Theatergoers Waited 10 Years to See Shen Yun and Were Not Disappointed

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Theatergoers Waited 10 Years to See Shen Yun and Were Not Disappointed
Christine and Rod Morris at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at Thrasher-Horne Center at St. Johns River State College on Jan. 16, 2024. Nancy Ma /The Epoch Times

ORANGE PARK, Fla.—The idea of salvation is present in the majority of cultures in the world. Shen Yun Performing Arts is using 5,000 years of Chinese culture to share the importance of believing in the divine.

“If you want to elevate yourself to the next spiritual level, this is the time to get right with your Creator,” said Rod Morris, a project manager.

Shen Yun is based in New York, and its mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. Before communism took over, China was known as the land of the divine. The people of each dynasty—from the Emperor to his people—all had great respect for higher powers.
“I think no matter what level of spirituality you’re at, [Shen Yun] certainly elevates you. We’re on our spiritual path ourselves ... every scene, every song, it can boost your spirituality. I think you have to be sleeping not to elevate your spirituality,” shared Christine Morris, a drama teacher.

The couple had waited a decade to see Shen Yun, and it did not disappoint them.

“I just absolutely loved it. The colors, the dancing, the acrobats—I thought it was phenomenal. I’ve been waiting ten years to see this. Thank you. I felt it to be very inspirational,” shared Mrs. Morris.

Shen Yun’s dancers are trained in classical Chinese dance, a dance form that is rich in expression. Without the use of words, emotions like anger, joy, and despair can be portrayed with clarity.

“The actors did a phenomenal job of expressing themselves through their dance because you didn’t need words. The effects they did with their body, with their motions and the facial expressions, all of that resonated so much,” said Mrs. Morris.

The couple remarked that Shen Yun’s talent is a gift from the heavens and they expressed their gratitude to Shen Yun for sharing their art.

“Your talent is beyond my comprehension. So, thank you for sharing your talent. I know it is all God-given, and it’s wonderful to share it with others,” said Mrs. Morris.

“I appreciate their talent and their sharing that talent with the world. It’s a lot of discipline, a lot of commitment, a lot of traveling. I’m sure it creates some hardships, but the talent and the teamwork creates a wonderful package,” added Mr. Morris.

Each dance presented by Shen Yun depicts a part of traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun’s portrayal of present-day China tells the story of Falun Dafa practitioners who are persecuted for their faith. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has committed countless crimes against humanity, including the illegal harvesting of organs.

“The [scene] that resonated with me was the exposing of the organ harvesting that takes place, which is horrendous. That is true evil incarnate—people who would do such a thing. [Shen Yun] will never be seen in mainland China, as long as the Communist Party is in charge,” said Mr. Morris.

He also expressed his support for letting the world know of the CCP’s crimes.

“The world at least is getting exposed to that messaging, and hopefully, that sparks some people to take action and do something about it,” he said.

Mr. Morris was struck by Shen Yun’s presentation of humanity and the importance of upright human ethics. He expressed his belief that there will be a day when the evildoers are punished.

“I believe that our world is a world of hurt right now. I don’t think that things are going in the right direction in many places and for many people. I think the day of reckoning is coming and coming soon. And this show is a great example of demonstrating the urgency of people getting their minds and their hearts in the right place,” he said.

The CCP systematically tore down traditional values in China and replaced them with atheism and hatred. Mr. Morris observed that the same disregard for tradition is happening around the world as well.

“I feel like it’s been a systematic effort to move people away from being spiritual. [Shen Yun is] exactly what we need to break away from that because, quite honestly, those powers are trying to stifle belief in the creator and spirituality. They’re trying to make people believe that there is nothing to hope for; there is no divine creator. That just doesn’t make any sense to me,” said Mr. Morris.
Chinese literature and history are abundant with stories of people who made the right choice and are, therefore, rewarded by the heavens. Mrs. Morris feels that the same is still true today.

“Like one of the scenes said about making choices—we’re all going to have to choose soon. We better choose wisely,” she said.

Reporting by Nancy Ma and Maria Han.
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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