NEW YORK CITY—Producer and acting teacher Paul Le Mos said he had the incredible luck to watch Shen Yun Performing Arts last Saturday, on April 5, and then again on April 10. Blown away by the performance, he was inspired on several levels.
“It was terrific. I had never seen it before. It was very educational in terms of the stories because they have narrators in between. And the dancing was phenomenal,“ he said. ”They were terrific. I didn’t realize that a lot of the moves that people use in ballet or gymnastics came from this Chinese art form. So it was very educational along with the entertainment.”
New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company. Through music and dance, Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and show audiences the beauty of China before communism.
Mr. Le Mos said it was sad that the Chinese communist regime and its politics was “interfer[ing] with great art.”
“You keep pulling that they get to express themselves. So I’m happy that they’re still able to travel and tell their story,” he said.
In addition to teaching acting, Mr. Le Mos sometimes works at the David H. Koch Theatre, which is how he was able to see Shen Yun several times this season, he explained. During these shifts, he had the opportunity to talk with some of the dancers and musicians backstage and wanted to cheer them on in their mission.
“They’re all very talented. They’re all young and very talented and very spirited. And I felt like they feel like they’re expressing a part of history. It’s important to them,” he said. “Because I’ve had conversations with them. They’re more than happy to just be out there and just, they’re having fun, but they take it very seriously.”
“I have to say something to the performers: Thank you for your hard work. Thank you for your spiritual journey and what you brought to the story of Shen Yun. And thank you. It’s been wonderful watching you,” he said.
Reporting by Yeawen Hung and Catherine Yang.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
