SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Through Art, Shen Yun Awakens Consciences: Toronto Audience

Apr 11, 2022

TORONTO—Around the world, people have slowly become aware of the Falun Dafa spiritual practice, which has been under severe persecution in China under the Chinese Communist Party for over 20 years. Some people learned of this issue through the group’s public awareness activities, and others through the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Painter Jennifer Argyris attended the Shen Yun performance with her cousin at the Four Seasons Centre on April 10.

“I’m familiar with the Falun Dafa,“ she said. ”I’ve seen the protests downtown, but my cousin asked me to come. I’ve seen the Shen Yun commercials on TV, but I also have wanted to come for a long time.”

Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company, whose mission is to revive China’s 5,000 years of culture before communism by highlighting stories from Chinese history.

It’s an age-old heritage steeped in wisdom with deeply spiritual traditions, and part of the performance also depicts contemporary events of religious persecution taking place in China under the communist regime.

“I think it was very poignant,” said Argyris. “Before we came I explained to my cousin and her daughter and her friends [that] this can’t be performed in China, and they didn’t know.” Ms. Argyris also told them about the persecution faced by Falun Dafa adherents in China today.

“I feel very fortunate, and I’m glad that people are able to experience this and see the truth behind the show,” she said.

Of the aesthetic experience, Ms. Argyris called Shen Yun “absolutely stunning,” adding that “the dancers are phenomenal” and she loved the costuming, colors, music, and animated backdrop.

“I feel like I am right inside the backdrop, they’re so realistic. And the colors are vibrant, gorgeous! [The] animation is incredible,” she said.

“I love the aspect of the other dimension that we’re being introduced to, but it’s just breathtaking. It’s all very, very well thought out and it reminds me of spring as well!”

Daya Cole and her daughters at the Shen Yun performance in Toronto on April 10, 2022. (Xinxin Teng/The Epoch Times) — Daya Cole and her daughters at the Shen Yun performance in Toronto on April 10, 2022. Xinxin Teng/The Epoch Times

Daya Cole is a high school teacher of art and technology and is also a painter herself. She saw Shen Yun in 2017 and came back this year to see it again, bringing her family with her.

“It was beautiful. It was magical,” she said, referring especially to the movements and skill of the dancers.

She was also struck by Shen Yun’s digital backdrop, which extends the stage action into fantastical worlds. It’s part of a patented system and method that allows seamless interaction between the dancers on stage and the background animation.

“I think the combination of digital art and making these transitions between the actual dancers and the digital background is magical,” she said.

The animated backdrop helps audience members envision the different places and times in China’s history being highlighted in the dances, and it gave Ms. Cole a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.

“It is very inspiring to learn more about Chinese culture and the spiritual path. And what I’m thinking, the reason why the Falun Dafa is banned in China [is] because it gives spiritual strength. And the communist party doesn’t want people to be spiritually strong. I come from a communist country too, so I can relate to that,” Ms. Cole said.

“People, when they come for entertainment, they don’t really think about anything but entertainment, and [Shen Yun] brings in the information that makes them think,” she added.

Reporting by Christine Lin and Xinxin Teng.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.